The Secrets of Maiden Kenpo
by Ivory Bangle
Summary: What if Fuu wasn't as helpless as she wanted everyone to beleive? What if a certain samurai found out her secret? Mugen x Fuu Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

I always thought that no one ever read the author's little blubs at the begining and end of chapter, so I never bothered writing them. But then I realized 'Hey, I read them. Maybe other people do and I just thought they didn't' So, I'm going to write them occasionally from now on. It turns out that they really help an author get into character for writing a fanfic. How helpful!

PS - If this story seems kinda jumbled together, it's because the dividers didn't upload right. I've tried several different ways, but none of the seem to work. Please bear with me until I find a better format besides .txt

XXXXXX

Chapter One: Bittersweet Memories

XXXXXX

Fuu fingered the delicate lacquer design that had skillfully been applied to the sheathe of the tanto. Well, technically it was her father's tanto. It seemed strange that it was so . . . well . . . pink. Fuu's brow furrowed as she contemplated the reasoning behind the weapon's color. Why would any self-respecting samurai carry around a pink knife? Plus, in stark contrast, the tanto had a skull and dice hanging off of it. Had her father been crazy or just very . . . confused?

"Hmmm . . ." she mussed carefully pulling the blade out. Tentively, she ran her thumb across the edge of the blade as she'd seen her mother do often when she was examining a kitchen knife. To her suprise it was razor sharp and sliced into the pad of her thumb like butter.

She yelped in suprise, pulling her hand back and immediately sticking her thumb in her mouth, sucking furiously.

"Fuu?" the voice of her mother came from down the hall. "What are you doing?"

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Fuu hastily put the dagger back into its sheathe and on its stand atop her mother's dresser. She turnned around just as the slidding door began to open and put on her most innocent face while hiding her injured hand behind her back.

"Fuu? What are you doing?" her mother repeated.

"I was just . . . umm . . . looking for my sandals," she said, before remembering that they were already on her feet. "Found them!" she smiled.

"Fuu . . ." Her mother entered the room, looking down at her daughter with the all-knowing and piercing gaze that only a mother can master. "What are you hiding?"

"Hiding?" She was caught and she knew it, but it was in her nature to fight it until the end. Her mother always told her that she was stubborn just like her father in that way. "What do you mean? I'm not hiding anything."

Her mother smiled, sitting on her knees in front of Fuu. "Let me see your hands."

Fuu sighed, pulling clenched fists from behind her back.

"Open them please," her mother said patiently.

Fuu complied, opening her tiny fists with the palms facing down. Her mother sighed, a smile crossing her face as she took her daughters hands in her own, turnning them over. Her smile faded at the sight of Fuu's bleeding finger.

"Why were you playing with your father's knife," she asked, looking up to find that Fuu had suddenly become very interested in her feet, "after I told you very plainly that you weren't allowed to touch it?"

"I'm sorry, Mama," the little girl muttered, cautiously making eye contact. To her suprise there wasn't anger in her mother's face. Instead they held a soft sadness. "I promise, I won't do it again."

Her mother pulled her slowly into a hug and held her a moment. Fuu could feel warm wet spots soaking through the material of her dress. A few seconds later, her mother had collected herself enough to pull Fuu away from her and look her in the eyes. She smiled at her before standing up and taking her hand.

"Thank you," she said, "I hope you won't. Now, come on. Let's go clean that up so you can help me with supper."

Fuu smiled, following her mother's lead. All was forgiven.

XXXXXX

Fuu woke with a start as Momo-san launched himself off of her shoulder. She shook her head, trying to clear it of the scattered remains of the strange dream. Where was she? Suddenly all of the events of the past few hours came back to her. She, Jin, and Mugen had come across an abandoned cabin in the woods where they had decided to stay for the night. They had gone out to find food a little while before sunset, and she had fallen asleep waiting for them.

She stood up, stretching her aching muscles. How long had she been asleep, she wondered as she walked to the broken door. Outside the sun had sunk completely below the horizon and only a slight orange glow remained to fight back the coming darkness. Hmm, it had only been at most an hour, she figured, walking back to the dieing fire, but the dream had felt like it had lasted a lifetime. How strange it was that she dreamed of her mother alive. She almost always dreamed of her mother lying on the floor dead. Oh well, she decided, the dream had been a pleasent change.

As she stared across the unused fireplace at the wall, trying to remember what she could of the pleasant memories the dream had brought, a horsefly buzzed past her ears, stirring her from her thoughts. She vaugely remembered the annoying buzzing before she had gone to sleep and waking up halfway to swat at it. Perhaps that was the reason that Momo-san had flew off, to escape the persistant pest. An old memory surfaced, making her smile. Her hand went to her hip, feeling the tanto. It had been a while, she thought to herself.

"I wonder if I sit got it?" she asked herself out loud, taking the knife out of its sheathe and closing her eyes and waiting.

XXXXXX

It was late in the evening, and the sun looked like it was lazily sitting on the horizon, not quite ready to go to bed yet. This was her favorite time of day. Her mother was taking away the dishes from their evening meal while humming a pleasantly familiar tune to herself. The cicadas were starting to quiet down, making the summer heat more bearable. Fuu closed her eyes and just listened to the tranquil sounds of her world preparing for sleep.

A high-pitched whinning buzz next to her ear brought her out of her mesmerized state. How irritating, she thought. The mosquitos were as thick as theives this time of year and they somehow always managed to find a way into her and her mother's home. She swatted at it half-heartedly, but the buzz quickly returned to her ear. She growled irritably, causing her mother to look up from her task.

"Fuu? What's wrong, dearest?"

Again Fuu waved it away from her ear and watched as the uncomfortably large insect darted into veiw. "Nothing," she said watching it as it readied for another attack, "this stupid bug just won't leave me alone!" she wound up yelling as she slammed her open palm down on the low table in front of her. Both she and her her mother jumped at the sound, then there was silence. Even the cicadas seemed to be still, and there was no buzzing anymore.

There's no way . . . Fuu thought doubtedly. The mosquito was too fast, wasn't it? She curiously lifted her hand off of the table to find nothing underneath. "Fuu?" her mother almost wispered. "Did you get it?"

She turnned her hand over, and to her amazement, it was there. The black, crumpled remains of the bug twitched on her hand. She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she quickly scraped it off on the edge of the table. "I guess I did," she said, smiling as she met her mother's gaze.

Her mother looked thoughtful and was silent. For some reason, her daughter's display had set the gears turnning in her head. What if it hadn't been just luck that had enabled her to swat it out of the air? What if, perhaps, her father had had something to do with it?

"Mama?" Fuu spoke cautiously. Her mother didn't look this way often. At the sound of her voice, her mother smiled.

"Fuu, come with me for a moment."

Obediantly, Fuu followed as her mother exited the kitchen and went outside into the dimming twilight. She walked over to the pile of wood that one of the gentlemen across the road had gathered for them to use in their cooking fires and selected a fairly straight stick from the assorment that was maybe as long as her forearm. 

"Let's play a game, Fuu," she said pleasantly, sitting down on her knees in front of her daughter. "Now hold this stick with your thumb and finger, like this . . ." she said putting it where she wanted it and raising Fuu's hand up so that it was straight out in front of her. Then she put her own hand just below the stick, half-clutched as if waiting to grab it. "Alright now," she instructed, "I want you to count to five out loud. But, sometime before you get to five - don't tell me when - I want you to drop it. Okay?" Fuu knodded. "Then we'll see how fast I can catch it as it slips through my hand." Again her daughter knodded, getting ready to play the game. "Alright. I'm ready whenever you are."

"One," Fuu said, loosening her fingers' grip on the stick, "two . . . three" she let the stick drop, and her mother caught it just as the bottom of the stick was about half-way through her hand.

"Very good, Fuu," she smiled, holding the stick as Fuu had and taking her daughter's hand. "Now let's see how fast you can catch it," she said positioning Fuu's hand as her's had been right below the stick. "Now, be ready to grab it. Ready?" Fuu knodded her head, excited to see how well she could do.

"One," her mother dropped the stick, thinking to catch her off guard was the best way to test her. To her amazement, Fuu did much better than she'd imagined. Her daughter's hand clenched shut before the bottom of the stick had even begun to slip through her hand, and the stick bounced off of her hand and fell to the ground.

"I didn't catch it," Fuu frowned. "Let me try again. This time, I'll wait a little."

"No, no, dear," her mother stammered with a nervous smile on her face, "That's not necessary." Seeing that Fuu didn't understand this at all and that she was a little upset that her mother didn't want to play anymore, she quickly added. "You won, you see," she explained, "You're very fast, and that's how you win."

"Really?" Fuu brightened. "Can we play again, then?"

Her mother smiled and knodded, and they played again several times. Almost everytime, it was the same result, but always, Fuu would catch it before the bottom of the stick could make it past her first finger.

"It's time for bed, dear," her mother said at last, "Let's go inside."

XXXXXX

"HA!" Fuu lunged forward, slicing the air with the tanto. Perfect, she thought to herself triumphantly. A peice of fly was stuck to the blade, and the other piece was probably lying on the floor somewhere.

"Hey," a familiar voice said from the door.

Fuu screamed in suprise. "What are you doing here!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, more embarassed than startled at the casual sound of Mugen's voice.

"Umm, I thought this was where we were going to sleep tonight," the lean samurai said, scratching his head in mock confusion.

"Grrr" she vented, calming down a bit, "Do either of you two know how to walk normal? Or is it just natural for you to SNEAK?"

Mugen didn't say anything, only causally moved his gaze from her blushing face to the tanto she was was pointing at him. "So . . . what were you doing?" he asked calmly, motioning toward the knife in her hand.

Fuu quickly shut her mouth, and even more quickly put the knife back into it's sheathe and tucked it into the obi of her kimono. Somewhere in the back of Mugen's mind a mental note popped up that mentioned he'd never seen her do that without looking before like she had just then. After weighing the options, he chose to ignore it - for now.

"I . . . thought I'd just . . . make sure it was still okay," she said. Fuu scolded herself mentally. That had been the worst impromtu excuse she'd EVER came up with in her entire existance. Oh well. The last thing she needed was for Mugen or Jin to get the idea that she was trying to imitate them like a little three-year old. She shuddered inwardly at the thought of her own stupidity, and at the fact that Mugen looked smuggly satisfied.

The gangly samurai stretched causally, putting both hands on the back of his head as he walked over towards where is bed roll was. He stopped for a moment when he was shoulder to shoulder with her. She didn't have to look. Fuu just knew that he was giving her one of those damn sideways glances that she'd become familiar with since they'd started their journey. After coming to the conclusion that he wasn't moving until she looked at him, she gave in and made eye contact with him.

Mugen flashed her his famous crooked smile with a knowing cockiness. She hated that smile. Most of the time it made her want to throttle him. But then there were other times that it made her want to do something completely different to him . . . Her eye twitched involuntarily with rage as she watched him walk over to his bed roll beside the fire. Now was definatley not the later.

Suddenly, it dawned on her. "Where's Jin?" Mugen shrugged indifferantly.

Fuu sighed. It was not unlike the quiet samurai to wander off on his own for the evening if he felt comfortable enough with leaving Fuu alone under just Mugen's protection. Apparetnly, he hadn't had any "bad feelings" about the place where they were staying.

"Did you find anything to eat?" she asked, sitting down across the fire from her companion.

Wordlessly, he produced a medium sized bag from beneath his red shirt and tossed it to her. Fuu missed it by a mile, and it landed a few feet behind her. Grumbling irritably, she grabbed it and opened it. Mushrooms! "Are they shitake!" she exclaimed, pulling one out of the bag and into the light. She slumped in disappointment. They were only morels which were much less valuable. "Did you wash them?" she asked, sniffing one.

"Yeah," Mugen said, not looking up, "They had little worms all over them."

Fuu wrinkled her nose at the thought. But, undoubtedly, Mugen and Jin had already eaten their fill of them. Mugen seemed to be doing okay. But then again, these were the men who had eaten raw wasabi. At last, she shrugged and popped one into her mouth. The tasted bland and clammy, but she was starving and didn't really care.

From the shadows, Momo-san sailed into view and landed on Fuu's arm. As he climbed up to her shoulder, Fuu wondered if squirrels ate mushrooms. He turnned up his nose at it when she offered him a chunk. A moment later he leaped off of her and sailed over to Mugen.

That was strange, Fuu mused, normally Momo-san wanted nothing to do with him since he and Jin had rescued her from the phony preist. She watched as the squirrel tentatively approached the samurai. Mugen offered Momo something in his hand that the squirrel hastily snatched away and stuffed into his cheeks before scurrying back to Fuu.

Fuu felt a twinge of guilt for yelling at him when he'd come in. "Thank you," she mumbled.

"Eh?" he cocked his head as if to hear better. She knew he could hear her just fine because of that cocky-ass grin on his face.

"I said 'thank you'," she said louder, the guilty feeling quickly dissipating, ". . . for thinking of him."

"The were on the trail," he said, yawning. "I would've eaten them myself if I hadn't already filled up on mushrooms."

Fuu smiled, watching as Momo-san produced chunks of walnut from his cheeks. "They were already shelled and just happened to fall into you hand by complete accident?" she said, taking her eyes off of Momo-san to look back across the room at Mugen. "I understand. It happens to me all the time."

His eyes widened for a split second. He'd been cornered. Oh well, he thought, meeting her gaze and smiling genuinely for the first time that she could remember. So what if he cared just a little? He stretched out on his mat and closed his eyes. He was still cool, damn it, and he'd kill anyone who thought different.

Fuu continued to smile as she lay down on her bed roll. Maybe he wasn't as much of an ass as she'd judged him to be. She rolled over to where she was facing the door so that she could watch Momo-san enjoy this rare treat. "Goodnight, Mugen," she said, closing her eyes.

He mumbled something that she couldn't hear. It proabably wasn't intended for her to be able to understand it, but she was content in thinking that he'd said goodnight to her too.

XXXXXX

Awwww. Cute and fuzzy. Just like Momo-san.

Ahem I'd like to explain to anyone who didn't already know, that the 'game' that Fuu's mother made her play is an old reflex test that they showed us in grade school. I don't know if they still do it. You know, it's the thing where you see how fast you can catch the ruler, then you write down the number you land on.

Please bear in mind people that this genre is completely new and uncharted territory for me to be writing. So far though, I think I like it. Reviews are appreciated whether they are flames or compliments, just please don't chew me out over spelling and grammar. I don't have a spell checker or a beta reader, and I like to think that I'm doing very well.

I'll try to get more up soon.

IB 


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, I've gotten more reviews on this story than I got combined on all my old stories. This story is requiring a whole lot more research than I remember putting into my old stories, though. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe I'm getting more careful in my old age. Anyways, tantojusu is, pretty obviously, the art of the tanto. And . . . drum roll please . . . that's all I could find out. A name. So, if it seems like I'm making this up, a good part of it, I actually am ;P If there are any die-hard martial arts fans out there who wouldn't mind sending me written descriptions of some of the techniques in tantojutsu. PLEASE . . . by all means, allow me to partake of some of your vast knowledge.

Also, just so I don't get in trouble in my next chapter, what CAN a writer put in a rated M story? Define "non-explicit."

XXXXXX

Chapter 2 - Hot Enough For You?

XXXXXX

Tantojutsu. She sometimes wished that she'd never heard of it. She looked back on her days as a child and hated herself for showing all of the enthusiasm towards learning anything about it. 

She remembered everything about that morning. There was a bird singing a delicate tune outside of her and her mother's room as the sun came up. The fresh spring air was warm and refreshing as it poured into the room through the door that her mother had left open when she'd risen earlier in the morning. Sarasa, her kitten was curled up in the sun that was beaming in from the window, purring loundly.

Fuu hastily got out of bed and dressed before making her way to the kitchen where her mother hummed merrily. At the door, however, she stopped, seeing what was lying on the table. In her haste to begin her first day as a 10-year old, Fuu hadn't noticed her father's knife had been taken off of the dresser. Hesitantly, she sat on her knees in her usual place.

After a few moments her mother joined her, placing a steaming pot of tea between herself and her daughter as well as cups. Fuu automatically took the pot and poured the hot liquid into her and her mother's cups as properly as she could manage. Her mother smiled approvingly lifting the cup to her lips and taking a sip. For what felt like an eternity, they sat in silence. Her mother seemed lost in her own thoughts. Eventually, Fuu couldn't take it anymore.

"Why is Father's tanto on the table?" she asked calmly.

Her mother looked up at her a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "Do you remembered the game we played together so long ago with the stick?"

Fuu knodded. Her mother had never trully explained the meaning behind it.

"You are very fast Fuu," the older woman explained, "And I beleive that it would have been your father's wish for you to not waste such a precious gift. So," she said grabbing the knife off of the table and offering it to her daughter, "I would like to give you this. Please, think of it as your father's birthday gift for you."

Cautiosly, Fuu took the presented offering. It was a very beautiful present, she thought. Fuu closed her eyes, offering her father a silent prayer of thanks.

"Do you know how to use it?" Fuu asked her mother, suprising her.

She wiped her mouth before answering. "I do not."

Fuu looked back to the tanto in her hands. What a shame, she had thought, to waste such a beautiful gift. She had the speed and weapon, but no means to use it. It was like having the fire and the rice, but no water to cook with.

"But . . ." her mother added quietly, "I do know someone who does."

Fuu brightened.

"Is this really what you want, though?" A loaded question. Fuu could feel it in the air. There was a catch to this, and probably a lesson to go with it. Did she really want this? What was that supposed to mean? Of course she did.

"Yes," she answered firmly. "This is what I want."

Her mother knodded. "You should know something first," she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "One who learns to fight, is doomed to never enjoy a peaceful life."

Fuu blinked, confused.

"Once you learn you will never be able to escape it. I don't know why, but that is the way it is. People will come to hurt you, and if you have a family they will hurt them too," she explained with downcast eyes. "All peaceful people know this, and so no farmer or merchant will have you as their bride if they know."

"What about a samurai, like father was?"

Her mother didn't answer her, only sighed. Fuu knew that she had not been pleased by her question. Fuu did not understand. Her father had been a samurai, but her mother had such a distaste for them.

"Then what if I never told anyone that I could do it?" she reasoned.

"Perhaps," her mother said, "but do you want to sacrifice years of your life to something that you will never be able to use?"

"What if I should need it one day?" Fuu asked. "I think that years of my life would be worth it if it meant that I could save my life."

"I suppose that is correct," her mother said without much enthusiasm.

"Mama," Fuu said, reaching across the table and touching her mother's hand. "I promise I will keep it a secret. No one will ever know, not even a samurai."

Her mother smiled at her tearfully. "Very well then."

XXXXXX

Fuu was woke in the night by the sould of Jin settling down onto his bed roll. She rolled over and looked into the dark shadows of the room. Not too far from her, Jin sat staring out the door at the stary night sky. He always looked like he was pondering the deepest secrets of the universe, she thought to herself. He was quite possibly the most difficult man to read that she had ever met. Mugen, she could read him like a book. It was more like reading a picture book at times, but she understood him and how he thought and functioned.

For Mugen to announce that he was going to the brothel, was like mentioning to Fuu that it looked like it might rain. But when Jin had told the two of them that he was going to buy a woman, it felt as if Fuu's world had tilted on it's axis. Her suprise had been caused by a combination of the fact that he'd said so much to her at one time and by the fact that he'd actually announced it out loud. Fuu knew that he and Mugen would run off to satisfy their 'primal' urges when she wasn't looking, but it was unlike him to flat out tell anyone that he was going to be with a woman.

It hadn't been just the sex that he'd gone after, and she knew it. Jin had someone waiting for him. If she hadn't needed him so badly, she wouldn't have minded to tell him that his debt had been paid. He was like a big brother to her now. She knew that he was looking out for her because he felt the same in some way, and she wanted for him to be happy. Jin, if anyone, deserved to be happy. There were just times that she wished that he could've been happy with her.

Of course, Fuu wished that was so with either of them. Her mother would've rolled over in her grave if she'd known that her daughter had strong feelings towards not just one samurai, but two. Yes, she hated to admit it, but Fuu felt something for the lean scoundrel of a man that slept across the fireplace from her. He could never know that though, she though to herself. Mugen was so full of himself, Fuu reasoned that he'd never let her live it down if he found out that she had a teensy weensy crush on him.

He probably already had his suspisions, Fuu thought, her eyes watering with sleepiness. But, why add fuel to the fire? He'd only torment her even more if he had proof. She closed her eyes, letting sleep overtake her again.

XXXXXX

Morning felt like it came too soon. The three travelers awoke in a sweat from the summer heat, their clothes and hair sticking unpleasently to their skin. Fuu groaned, rolling up her bed. It was going to be miserable walking in this heat.

"My kingdom for a cold bath . . ." she wimpered, tying up the bundle.

"Eh?" Mugen looked up at her from the same task. He looked just as uncomfortable. His normally windblown hair was stringy and hung limply about his face. At some time in the night he'd taken off his heavier red shirt and now the white one clung to him, outlining his lean frame and taunt muscles. Fuu shook her head, shifting her attention to Jin quickly.

Jin showed no obvious signs, but she could see the sweat dripping off of his nose as he adjusted his rumpled clothing. No doubt he was used to being hot. His heavy clothing looked like it was very uncomfortable in hot weather.

After packing up their make-shift camp, the three set out towards Ikistuki Island. Acording to their map there was really only a couple more towns to pass through before reaching their destination. If they made good time today, they were sure to reach a small fishing village before nightfall. After that came a town called Saga, then Nagasaki.

A brief gasp of wind swept over them as they walked through some dense woods. Even the birds seemed abated by the heat. Either they were being exceptionally quiet or the numbingly lound cicadas were drowning out their songs. Fuu sighed, wiping her forhead on her sleave. It felt as if nature didn't want them to find the sunflower samurai. She thought about loosening her obi so that she didn't feel so constricted around the waist. Maybe that would releave some of the heat.

As she was begining to untie the simple style knot at the small of her back, it struck her that Mugen wasn't in front of Jin or her anymore. Her mind must've drifted, and she hadn't seen him loose the lead and fall to the back of their little parade. Slowing down for a second, she looked behind her just in time to catch him avert his gaze and begin to whistle innocently. HE'D BEEN WATCHING HER UNTIE HER SASH! Fuu blushed angrily, returning her hands to her sides. The bastard must've known that that was the first thing she'd do to releive herself in this heat, and he'd made his move to the back of the line so he could watch. 

Fuu felt fury breifly bubble up inside of her, but it was stopped with a thought. Did that mean that he might be interested in her? Of course, she reasoned, they hadn't been to a town since before the whole crazy burried treasure business, and she really couldn't remember how long they'd been stuck there. He was probably just getting desperate. He hadn't gone this long without getting some action since . . . well . . . as long as she'd known him.

"Hmph!" She looked back at him again, and he flashed her a crooked smile, scratching his head. Fuu decided to be angry instead of flattered. She quickly straightened out the bow of her obi and caught up with Jin.

"Mugen is bothering you?" the quiet man said looking down at her.

"Nah," she sighed, not wanting to give either of them a reason to fight. "He's just being . . . well. He's just being Mugen."

"I see," Jin stated, returning his eyes to the path. They continued in silence.

As the sun was reaching the peak of it's daily journey and the heat was so unbearable that it was begining to labor their breathing, Fuu annouced that she needed a break. For the first time, neither samurai complained. Jin sat down in the shade of a massive tree, and Fuu joined him, sitting on her knees as usual. After a moment, Mugan caught up to them and sat down beside Fuu.

"Eh?" He'd never done this before. Looking to him for some sort of explination for his actions, Fuu flushed instantly. He'd taken off his white shirt and tied both of them around his waist. This of course revealed his gaunt and muscular torso that was literally gleaming with sweat. All over his body she could see faint scars, but they didn't keed him from looking absolutely gorgeous. Wide eyed, Fuu forced herself to look at Jin. He offered no help. The samurai had his eyes closed as if he was meditating.

"Hot enough for ya?" Mugen asked her, leaning back on his arms and stretching his legs. Fuu shuddered at the double-meaning of the question.

"I'm going to go look for some water," she stated as calmly as she could manage, getting up. Now she could REALLY use a cold bath.

Mugen shrugged watching her rigidly walk into the woods. He smiled to himself at his small victory. After a few quiet moments with Jin, Mugen decided that it would probably not be such a good idea to let Fuu wander off without someone to watch over her in case of bandits or something. He got to his feet and silently walked in the direction she'd gone.

Fuu had calmed down some, but not enough. The image of Mugen's body had been burnned into her mind, and she'd probably carry the memory to her death bed. She stopped for a moment and took a few deep controlled breaths. "Okay, Fuu," she said, "get ahold of yourself." Taking a few more relaxing breaths, she heard something that she hadn't noticed before. Somewhere not too far away, she heard a gentle trickling sound. "WATER!" she cheered walking hastily in the direction of the noise.

Oh how she loved it when she was right. A short distance away she found a cool bubbling creek. The water was crystal clear and pooled perfectly in one spot. She hastily looked around. No one, she thought happily, untieing and unwrapping her obi from around her waist. Mugen and Jin could wait for just a little while she reasoned, then she would go back and tell them about her find and let them enjoy it as well.

Fuu removed her kimono. She considered washing it, but what would be the point. Plus she'd have to wait for it to dry. She hung it over a low limb, smoothing it out so that the cotton material wouldn't wrinkle. Her bindings around her breasts would take too long to put back on, she reasoned, so she left them on. Besides, it wouldn't take no time for them to dry, and it would be a pleasant releif while they were walking. A thought crossed her mind, and she picked up her tanto, bringing it to the water's edge where it would be within easy reach should she need it.

The water of the creek wasn't frigid, but it was still cool enough to be refreshing to her. She sighed in ecstasy, slipping into the pooled water up to her shoulders. This was living! Fuu took the pins out of her hair and loosened the tight and unpleasantly damp knot, letting her dark brown tresses fall down her back. She went under the water's surface breifly to wet it and straighten out the tangles. After cleaning as best as she could without soap, she relaxed a little, leaning against the shore.

As she listened to the tranquil sounds of the woods around her, her mind wandered back to thoughts of walks through the woods with her mother when she was young.

XXXXXX

This was a rare treat. Her mother hardly ever went on a walk through the woods with her anymore. Plus, for the past few days she hadn't been feeling well enough to do much of anything. Today however, her headache had lessened and she had been having chills from her fever, so she wanted to be outside in the sun. Fuu was worried about her. 

Times were hard for her village. Many people in her village had come down with a strange sickness lately. She feared that her mother had the same thing. With so many people sick, little work was getting done, so there was even less money than usually circulating. Thievery had gone up tremendously as a result. Lately, Fuu had took to sleeping with her tanto between her mother and the door to their room.

The doctor had told her that she had to be very careful not to drink after her mother or sleep in the same bed that she'd slept in. Also it was vital that she wash her mother's bed clothes and kimono everyday to keep from catching it. It was tiring and Fuu had had to stop her tantojutsu lessons for the time being to care for her mother. She was almost 17 now though, and Fuu felt that she was very capable.

Her mother smiled at her, and Fuu returned it. They were entering her favorite part of the forest. It was a serene spot where a bridge that the villagers had built crossed a deep crevice in the earth. They stopped in before the bridge and enjoyed the peace for a while.

"Have you found a young man yet, Fuu?" the older woman asked with a smile. "I do wish that I could've seen grandchildren before I died."

"You will, Mama," Fuu said, "Just not so soon" Fuu looked down at her feet. No man had shown interest in her, and she had been considering seeing a matchmaker. There were times however, that she felt that she just wasn't truly ready to be a wife or a mother. Her spirit was restless for something more than just being the wife of a farmer. Ho doubt, her mother wouldn't understand if she told her that though.

"I understand." Her mother leaned against a tree, rubbing her temples. The headache was coming back. This morning Fuu had noticed small lesions on her hands, much like the ones she'd seen in the village. "How are your lessons coming?" Her thoughts were interuppted, and Fuu looked back at her mother.

Her mother had never asked her about her tantojutsu during the entire 7 years that she'd been taking them. "Very well," Fuu answered hesitantly. She felt for her tanto which she always carried on her person. "Would you like to see?" she asked, looking for a target.

Her mother knodded, watching as her daughter pulled out the knife and like lightning threw it at a tree where it split a slender sprouting branch down the middle. Her mother smiled meekly at the show of skill. Fuu didn't realize how much she reminded her of her father. "Your father would have been very proud of you," she said, watching as Fuu retreived the blade.

Fuu bowed slightly. "Thank you, Mother." Seeing her mother grimace in pain, she took her arm. "Let's start back for home, so you can go to bed."

Her mother knodded, and they started back towards the village. By this time the sun was begining to set and the forest around them was alive with the sounds of the wildlife preparing for nightfall. Had her mother not been so ill, Fuu would've paused to savor the moment. But, there was not time for that.

Halfway between the bridge and the village, there was a small shrine. Usually, Fuu would stop and offer a prayer, but tonight was different. As they passed it though, something neither of them were expecting happened. From behind the shrine jumped a young man not much older than Fuu. It was difficult to tell in the waning twilight, but Fuu thought she recognized him as Tsuchi, a farmer from the other side of the village. She was about to call his name when he produced a knife from his belt. His hand was shaking as he held it out towards them. "G . . . give me your money," he studdered, his eyes darting back and forth nervously, "Or . . . or I'll kill you."

"Tsuchi-san?" Fuu breathed in horror, stepping between him and her terrified mother. He blinked and began to shake more violently. It was him.

"Damn you," he said shakily. "Damn you! Why did you have to say my name!"

"Why, Tsuchi . . ." her mother began.

"Now I have no choice but to kill you, since you know who I am!" he screamed, tears streaming down his face. "All I wanted was your money," he whimpered.

"Tsuchi-san, please . . ." Fuu said, her hand going to where her tanto was tucked in her sash out of reflex.

"AAAHHHHH!" he screamed, charging them with the knife thrust forward towards Fuu. 

At that point, Fuu's world began to move in slow motion. Behind her, her mother screamed. In an instant, her hand was on her tanto, and it was drawn. Fuu barely remembered taking a defensive position before Tsuchi was within range. She grabbed his outstretched arm and turnned slightly so that his back was at her side. After that, everything was a blur in her memories. The next thing that she could remember was the tanto in his back and Tsuchi's blood on her hands and her mother screaming.

They made it back to the village. Her mother was hysterical with fright and worry, so Fuu left her at their home before going to report the incident to the authorities. She told them it was an accident and that she had only acted out of self defense for her and her mother. The authorities had no trouble believing her when she began to cry. It really had been an accident. She hadn't ment to kill Tsuchi, she was only protecting her mother. The authorities had no idea that she'd known how to kill. It went on record that Tsuchi had attacked, and Fuu had struck out blindly from instinct.

The 'record' didn't keep her from feeling like a monster though. And, everywhere she went in the village now, it felt like everyone else was looking at her like she was one. This was terrible, she'd thought, how could she go on living in this village like this. She could move, but Fuu couldn't dream of leaving her mother in her current condition. Fortunately, that obstical overcame itself only a week later.

It was then, on her death bed, that Fuu's mother told her the secret that would change her life. Her father was still alive. He hadn't died, only left them.

Fuu was stirred from the painful memories by a noise in the woods. She opened her eyes and carefully reached behind her onto the shore for her tanto. It had come from the direction that she had came from when she'd found the creek. Fuu focused her hearing in on the sound. It was too quiet to be an animal, almost like it didn't want her to know it was coming. It could only be one thing, she decided, a bandit. She'd probably, stirred him from his hiding spot when she cheered for her victory. With Mugen and Jin still on the path waiting for her, she was on her own.

She cautiously rose from the water so that she was only waist deep. The approaching noise stopped, but it was too late. She'd already determined where they were, just as she had found the horsefly's path in the dimming light of dusk the night before. She anxiously spun the knife in her hand with precise expertise. There wasn't a sound for what felt like an eternity. Fuu closed her eyes again and listened frozen where she stood in a stance that was ready to snap like a sprung trap.

There was a rustle in the bushes behind her. They'd moved. Fuck, this guy was good! Pretty damn sneaky for a run-of-the-mill bandit, Fuu thought. She hadn't heard a thing when he'd relocated. In the blink of an eye, she'd turnned around facing the direction that the last noise had come from and hurled her knife into the brush, where she was dead sure that her adversary was. But . . . there was no scream of pain or gurggling death noises. A cold sweat broke out all over her body. She'd missed, and now she was completely defenseless since she'd thrown her only weapon away. Fuu was about to mentally kick herself, but had no time.

Behind her, something exploded out of the bushes. Faster than she could turn around to see what was coming, there was a loud splash behind her and cold water rushed over her, making her scream in suprise. With any luck Mugen and Jin had heard her, she thought as a pair of strong arms latched around her tiny form pulling her back against their owner. Fuu couldn't scream again, she was so overtaken with panic. All she could do was struggle against her captor to try to get a better look. He held her too tightly though. She was doomed. Seven years of training had been all for nothing.

So, what'cha think so far? As I said before, reviews are very welcome, and thanks again for reading. I'll try to get more up before the end of the week.

IB 


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, I still don't know what I can put in an M rated fic, so I'm just going to put as much as what I've read in other fics. Don't worry though, this chapter isn't the one that I rated the fic for. 

I probably won't be able to post for the next week or so, because I'll be at a national vocational competition for my college. But, hopefully in that time, I'll get a couple of chapters wrote between lectures. Anyways, thanks again for all of the reviews.

PS - Please don't think I'm trying to make Mugen sound evil in this chapter. He's just really frustrated and crazzed.

XXXXXX

Chapter 3 - Why?

XXXXXX

Mugen crept through the forest in the direction that Fuu had walked. Just to be on the safe side, he'd decided to walk in super-sneaky-stealth mode. Plus, he loved sneaking up on Fuu and making it seem like it was her fault for not paying attention. He was so quiet, he startled a game bird from its nest just before he stepped on it. The animal fluttered out from under him in a frenzied panic, almost making him piss himself. Okay, he thought, too sneaky. He was too young to have a heart attack.

A few moments later, he heard a famiiar sound a short distance up ahead. Sounded like splashing water, he thought. Oooo . . . water. He quivered at the thought. It had been a while since he'd been this hot, and he didn't miss it one bit. Fuu's idea of a cold bath sounded very appealing right about now. He continued his advance on the noise. 

Not too much later, he caught a glimpse of the reflection of the sun as it beamed through the canopy. But that wasn't the only thing he saw. Drapped over a low-hanging branch was a familiar pink kimono. Now he was really interested. He grinned wildly, dropping down to his hands and knees so he could sneak up a little better. Mugen crept up a little closer and was rewarded with the sight of Fuu with her back toward him. Wow, he thought. He couldn't remember ever seeing her with her hair let down before. Details, details, he told himself, creeping closer. He wasn't here to see hair. In his haste, he let down his guard against making noise on his approach, and the underbrush rustled at his feet.

'Great,' he scolded himself, ducking behind a tree. Now she'd probably yell for him and Jin to come to her rescue. He peered around the tree and was dumbstruck at what he saw. Apparently, yelling for them was the last thing on her mind. Fuu had stood up now, revealing (to his disappointment) her binded upper torso and dark brown hair that fell to her lower back, and in her hand was that damn tanto she always carried around. What suprised him though, was that she had taken a VERY convincing stance and looked like she was ready to strike at a split second's notice. He shook off the thought. She was probably just mimicing what she'd seen him and Jin do - kind of like what he'd caught her doing the night before. 

But, after a few moments, he began to doubt his theory a little. Fuu hadn't moved. What the hell was she doing, he wondered. Then it dawned on him. She was listening. Mugen watched a little longer and saw her twirl the blade in her fingers anxiously. Damn! What in the world had gotten into her lately? Mugen had no idea how to even begin to answer that question, but he had to admit one thing. He kind of liked it whatever it was. 'Let's see how serious she really is,' he thought to himself, taking off his sandal and chucking it aways up stream so that it rattled the bushes a little. To his suprise and extreme excitement, she spun around and launched the tanto into the exact spot his sandal had landed.

The lean samurai felt his body temperature rise at the sight of the display. He hadn't seen a woman move that fast since . . . well, since that one time . . . with that one girl . . . at the brothel. What was her name again? Yatsuha? Something like that. He vaguely remembered something about being underground and something about conterfit money. But she'd been full of empty promises. But here was Fuu . . . Sweet, little, innocent . . . well not so innocent now, Fuu. Here was something he could work with.

She looked puzzled at first, then she seemed to pale. 'That's right,' he smirked, stealthily moving in. 'You went and fell for my trick, and now you're helpless against me.' Somewhere at the back of the line of his foggy thoughts a little voice was trying to warn him of something, but he didn't have time for it whatever it was. There she was - the girl he'd been looking for! His own adorable goddess of death and pain! She was quick and strong! And naked and wet! His brain had stopped working completely by this time, but he didn't care. 

He leaped out of the bushes and into the water behind her. The cold water didn't even phase him, he'd worked himself up so badly. Mugen lunged forward, hearing her scream before he latched his arms around her and pulled her to him. Fuu struggled in his arms, and he reveled in the feeling of her wriggling form. 'OH YES!' his mind reeled. She was so strong! He liked STRONG women!

Fuu finally managed, somehow to turn herself around in her captor's arms. She froze, and time seemed to stop.

"MUGEN!" she screamed. He had the most wild distant look in his eyes that she'd ever seen. Mugen was not there mentally and probably hadn't even heard her. Suddenly she felt the presence of something in her hand for the first time since the begining of her panic. It was the sheath of her tanto. He could handle it, she reasoned after a split second of reasoning, then cracked him upside the head with it.

"OWWW!" he yelled releasing her so he could grab his injured head. That brought him out of it, she thought triumphantly, sinking into the water up to her neck. By now enough sediment at the bottom of the creek had been stirred up by their struggle that it hid her body from sight for the most part.

"Get out!" she yelled at him, supremely pissed off. She felt like crying, her emotions had been so riled up. First she'd been terrified, then she'd found out it was Mugen and for a brief moment she was far from scared or angry. But then reality kicked in and she was so mad, she got a headache.

Mugen rubbed his head. What happened? The last few minutes were foggy memories. Then he saw Fuu, up to her neck in muddy water. Her face was red, and it looked like there were tears forming in her eyes. Then it all came back to him. "Fuu?" he called sheepishly. "I am sooo sorry," he said, hearing a familiar 'shink' of metal being drawn out of a sheathe. Oh yeah . . . that was what his mind had been trying to warn him about.

"Get out," Jin said calmly, almost like he was sighing.

Fuu blinked in amazement. Not at the show of protectivness from Jin, but at what Mugen had said before being subdued. He'd said he was sorry, and if she didn't know better, it had really sounded and looked like he'd meant it. She watched as he got out of the pool. His hair hung limply around his face, and he had a far away look in his eyes. As he stood there on the shore in his dripping-wet pants that were slowly slipping down from the weight of the water and a trickle of blood from the impact of the sheathe slidding down his jaw, he looked defeated to her for the first time. Even on that night when she'd come to rescue them from a certain death at the hands of the local boss, he'd only shot him a snide remark, never giving any of them the satisfaction of looking beaten. She felt a teensy weensy bit sorry for him.

"Go," Jin said when Mugen looked at him. He pointed half-heartedly towards the trail. After watching him for a moment, he looked back at Fuu. "Are you hurt?"

"N . . no," she said, laughing nervously under Jin's unnerving gaze. He knodded, and turnned to follow the other samurai. "Jin," she called after him, and he stopped. "Don't be mad at him," she said, thinking about all that he'd seen. "I think I sort of . . . um . . . frustrated him a little."

Again Jin knodded, and continued to move on.

After both men were a safe distance away, Fuu moved out of her dirt cloud into clear water where she rewashed herself. Then she stepped out of the creek and proceeded to dress again. For some reason, she remembered how it felt being up against him, after she'd realized that it wasn't some random bandit. She'd felt the heat coming off of him, even in the cool water, and had felt her own temperature rise in response to his touch. She shook the thought away. Mugen was clearly nutty. What was she thinking?

As she finished straightening the bow of her obi, she realized that she couldn't help BUT think about it. After all, he was so damn sexy. Plus, now she knew that he thought she was attractive too. Fuu smiled, as she walked over to retreive her knife from the underbrush. She was a little suprised to find Mugen's sandal stuck to it. Wow, she was getting better, Fuu thought, pulling the tanto out of the shoe and inspecting the blade for any nicks. She didn't doubt that the metal it had been formed from had been folded many times during it's making, and it was sure to hold a razor sharp edge after much worse abuse.

XXXXXX

"So," Jin said, breaking the silence, "did you see them?"

"See what?" Mugen asked looking up at his companion. It kind of suprised him that Jin was actually talking to him.

"Nevermind."

Jin - of all people - couldn't possibly be talking to him about . . . "Hey, aren't you mad at me?"

The quiet samurai grunted. "Should I be. She wasn't hurt . . ."

"Well yeah, but . . ."

"Or upset," he added, with a barely noticable smirk.

Mugen was silent. Both of them knew about Fuu's "secret" feelings towards them, and both had brushed it off as just a young girl's crush. But, after seeing her that afternoon . . . all tense and from the looks and feel of it, quiet capable of inflicting some serious pain, Mugen thought that maybe, they'd misjudged her. But if she'd wanted their attention, why had she always acted like such a helpless buffoon when she was in trouble. It was almost like . . . she didn't want them to know. Again, he asked himself why, but he could think of no logical explination.

They reached the path a little while later and sat down to wait for Fuu. Mugen sighed. It was so miserably hot that his skin had already dried and his pants were getting there fast. Feeling the sun starting to burn his skin a little, he decided that it might be a good idea to put his white shirt back on at least. After pulling it on, he noticed a big red smear on the side of the collar. He gently fingered the side of his head and inspected his hand. He hadn't even realized that he was bleeding.

"So," Jin spoke, "What DID Fuu do to get you so hot and bothered?"

Mugen smiled, feeling a brief heat, unrelated to the sun, wash over him again at the memory. "Bah," he grumbled, quickly turning his smirk into grimmace, "We just need to get to a town soon," he said, playing it off as uncaringly as he could manage. "I'm just starting to go a little stir crazy, I think."

Why let Jin in on his new-found secret? Who knew? Maybe Jin was into that sort of thing too. He had been attracted to Sera, though not as obvious about it as Mugen had been. No, he decided, he could keep Fuu's secret. After all, she HAD gone through all that trouble to keep it from them to begin with, he reasoned. Why let all of that hard work and very good acting go to waste?

He leaned back on his arms as before and closed his eyes, figuring it would be best to get as much relaxation in before they had to start walking again. Damn, that water had felt good. He groaned inwardly as the relentless memories associated with the creek bubbled back to the surface of his thoughts. Fuu had seemed . . . well, beautiful to him at that moment. But what had been so different about her appearence? Nothing really, he deduced. 

His thoughts drifted to another time, not too long ago when Fuu had been captured and held at the brothel. He had the opportunity then to be free of his debt. All that he'd had to do then was walk away - walk away and forget about her. But he hadn't been able to. That nagging, guilty feeling in the back of his mind wouldn't let him. So, frustrated with himself, he'd gone back to save her.

Now, after seeing Fuu in this new light, maybe, he thought, it hadn't been guilt that had made him go back. Perhaps he'd felt something for her before he'd even realized it. Well, whatever had happened, it was going to be a while, he guessed, before Fuu would let down that proud and stubborn defense that she'd build up.

Fuu emerged from the woods. "Ready!" she announced as cheerily as she could. She tossed his sandal into his lap. "You forgot this, Mugen," she said.

He looked up at her casually to see if he could read her face. She didn't look mad, and he KNEW the look she got when she was mad. He'd seen it several times during their journey, almost on a daily basis. The thing was was that he didn't reckognize the emotion associated with the expression she had now. It looked almost sad.

Even though he didn't show it, he felt bad. He looked away from her before he said something stupid. "Well," he said hopping to his feet in one quick and fluid motion, "I'm ready to get started again."

"Yes," Jin said, "We sould reach the fishing village in a couple more hours."

Fuu knodded, watching the two men start walking. She sighed. Maybe she should have said something. But what could she have said? He was back to the Mugen she knew before this whole business. Oh well, she thought, Mother wouldn't have liked the idea anyways.

XXXXXX

Three hours later, the trio still hadn't seen any sign of the village, and their stomachs agreed unanimously that it was time for something to eat.

Momo-san emerged from Fuu's sleave and sailed up to Mugen where he perched on his shoulder.

"Eh?" Mugen stopped to look at the hitch hiker. "Hey, what's up with you?"

"He's hungry," Fuu informed him, "And you were the last person to feed him."

"Go away," Mugen said, trying to shoo Momo away, but the squirrel didn't budge. "I don't have anything! If I did I'd have eaten it by now!"

Fuu stiffled a giggle watching as the normally cool and laid-back swordsman began to chase after Momo-san as he darted back and forth between his shoulders. At last the chase ended with Momo on top of Mugen's head. Mugen, defeated for now, growled irritably. Fuu couldn't take it anymore. She burst with laughter at the two's antics, tears springing to her eyes it was so funny.

"Hey!" Mugen shouted looking back at her. "Don't encourage it."

Fuu couldn't help herself, though. It had just been too damned cute.

"Enough!" Mugen said, shaking his head. "Argh! If I get you something to eat, will you go away." You're ruining my image, he thought inwardly.

"Eee," was Momo-san's only response as he twitched.

With that, Mugen veered off the path and into the forest again. Fuu caught up to were they had entered the forest, and Jin walked back to join her. It was time for a break anyway. They watched as the squirrel-infested samurai sulked into the trees, looking for any fruit or nut bearing variety. After a moment or two, he stopped, and they watched as he drew his sword and leaped into the air. The sun glinted off of the blade as he slashed the air and put it back into it's sheathe in one quick motion. He picked something up off the ground and started back. Fuu could see Momo darting all over his torso, anxiously.

When he reached the path, he handed Fuu a branch of small black and red berries. Momo-san immediately made his way back to her shoulder where she held the branch as he ate his fill. "You didn't get any for us?"

"They're mulberries," he said like it was a chore explaining things to idiots. "They don't have any flavor, and they don't fill you up worth a shit. I want some real food."

"I concur," Jin added, standing up. "The village shouldn't be too far now. I smell smoke."

The three continued on for a while longer. Before the village came into view, Mugen slowed his pace, allowing Fuu to catch up, but not wanting to look like he was waiting.

They walked shoulder to shoulder for a few moments before she broke the silence. "How's your head?" she asked, refering to the injury she'd inflicted.

"Sore," he grumbled, not taking his eyes off of the path. 

"Let me see it," Fuu said, placing her small hand on his arm. "It might need . . ."

"I'll live," he said, half-heartedly brushing her hand away out of habit, but then finding that he missed it's presence when it was gone.

"Fuu," he said, looking down at her and watching as Momo continued to pick the branch clean. She looked back up at him, smiling politely. "I don't say this often," he said, "but I'm sorry."

Fuu's smile faded slightly but didn't vanish as she looked down so see that Momo-san had finished. "Mugen . . ." she almost wispered.

"Why didn't you tell us?" he asked, looking up to see if Jin was listening in.

Fuu sighed, dropping the stick. "You wouldn't understand," she said, "Could you please just forget that you ever saw it?"

Mugen blinked. She HAD been trying to hide it from them. "Fuu," he said, placing a rough and calloused hand on her shoulder. He felt her flinch at the feeling. "I don't think I could ever forget what I saw, even if I wanted to. I need to know. Why?"

What was she supposed to say? She'd never thought ahead enough to plan for something like this happening. "I . . . I want to live peacefully," she said at last.

"So, you were afraid that we'd try to fight you?" he asked, scratching his head disbelievingly.

"No, it's not that. It's just . . . well, I can't really think of a way to explain it," she said. Fuu didn't want to have to explain it at all. "I don't want to talk about it right now, okay," she said, getting frustrated. "I never thought that you and Jin would find out."

He sighed, putting his hands on the back of his head and stretching. "I didn't tell Jin," he said, looking at her again. Her face softened at those words. Fuu looked as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Really?"

Mugen knodded.

"Th . . . thank you, Mugen," she wispered.

"How about we make a deal," he said. He just had to know, and this way, she wouldn't feel like she had to worry about Jin. "How about after we find the sunflower samurai and all go our seperate ways, you and I meet, and you can explain it then?"

Fuu weighed her options. Somehow, she didn't believe Mugen was going to let her off the hook, but if everything went as planned, she would be able to lose him and never have to tell him at all. Even if she did have to tell him anyway, this way she would have some time to think out an explanation.

"Okay."

XXXXXX

In case someone hasn't caught on yet. My story is sort of happening between episodes 22 and 23. So, sometime before I post chapter four, go watch 23, the one about baseball, because chapter four is going to start off right as that episode is ending. 


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for not getting back to this when I'd said I would. I've just got so much stuff going on right now that it isn't funny. Now that classes have started again, I'll be doing good if I can get a chapter posted every week or so. Sorry guys. I really enjoy writing this fic and I love all the reviews I've been getting, so I don't think I'll be able to live with myself if I don't finish it.

By the way, I never did find out what was okay to put into an M rated story, but I've been seeing several stories with very graphic 'adult situations' and they don't seem to be getting any guff about it. So, I guess as long as I don't write a porno, I'm fine. ;)

IB

XXXXX I Just Can't XXXXX

Mugen fingered the empty socket in his mouth where only hours before a tooth had been. It had been one crazy day, he recalled leaning back against the wall of the small cabin that Kagemaru-san called home. He'd been kind enought to allow the three of them to stay there for the night. It was the least that he could do for the man that had supposedly saved Japan. Plus, he wouldn't be using it for a while anyway since he was recovering at the local doctor's house.

Fuu had tried to talk himself and Jin into staying there too, but both samurai had assured her that they were fine, even though they clearly weren't. Mugen's jaw throbbed painfully. The swelling had went down, giving him some releif and peace of mind. At least is wasn't broken. He hated broken bones, they forced him to slow down and calm his hectic lifestyle for too long. Of course, Mugen was rarely at the recieving end of a bone-breaking blow, so he didn't usually have anything to worry about.

Across the room from him, Jin lay on the floor staring at the rafters above. It hurt him to move, and Mugen knew it. But, the dark-haired samurai played it off well that he wasn't bothered by the screaming pain in his back. It gave Mugen a hint of cruel satisfaction though when he'd see him wince as he'd sit up or reposition himself. The Untouchable Jin was showing signs of being human for once.

The door slid open, and Fuu entered carrying a bucket of well water with both hands. She shot both of them a glare. "One of you could have at LEAST gotten the door for me!" she complained, but her expression quickly softened after looking at them for a moment. They looked damn near pitiful. Jin sat cross-legged, trying to slip into a more distant sate of mind, but she could tell the pain in his spine kept bringing him back. On his forehead she could see beads of sweat forming and his closed eyes would squint tightly and he would clench his teeth in pain from time to time. Half of Mugen's face was an extremely nasty looking blue and purple bruise and one eye still refused to open all the way because of the selling. If she hadn't known better, she would've felt sorry for them.

She looked away and sighed walking over to the simmering pot in the center of the room. The young woman sat the bucket down and lifted the lid, inspecting the contents. Steam rolled out at her and she removed it. "Alright Jin," she said picking up a large pair of wooden tongs, "The doctor said that you need 'moist heat,' and this is all I really know to do." She produced a wet towel from the pot, the steam curling off of it. The samurai arched an eyebrow at the sight. Fuu looked thoughtful. "I don't think he ment THIS hot," she concluded, setting it aside to cool. Jin sighed in relief.

"What about me?" Mugen asked, desperate for relief, but trying to sound irritated.

Fuu dunked a fresh towel in the bucket. "I guess we'll just have to keep it cold and see if the swelling goes down." She wrung it out and folded it. "Nothing really cold around here besides well water, so I guess we'll just have to make do."

Mugen took the offered cloth and put it on the side of his acheing face. It was cool, but he remembered the creek water being cooler somehow. There must have been a nearby spring, he reasoned. Thoughts of the spring brought back arousing memories and burning questions that he wanted answers to. But this wasn't the time or place. His stomach grumbled. He hadn't realized he was so hungry. His teeth throbbed at the thought of chewing.

Fuu looked over at him, hearing his stomach growl. It reminded her of how hungry she was. Jin was probably getting there too since they hadn't eaten all day. They still had very little money, so going to a resturant was out of the question. Maybe Kagemaru-san had something she could cook, Fuu thought, standing up and walking to where the food was stored. Hmm, there was enough to make some dumplings and rice, but she'd have to go get some meat. Hopefully the butcher was still open. It was close to dinner time after all.

"I'm going to go into town real quick," she said returning to the fire and putting fresh water into the pot to boil.

Mugen looked up from his thoughts. It would be nice to get out and get some air, he reasoned, watching her put her sandals back on and slide the door open. He stood up and followed her out.

"Are you sure you feel well enough?" she asked as he appeared behind her.

"I hurt my face, not my feet," he said irritably, rolling his eyes.

Fuu shrugged and started walking toward the village with Mugen in tow. "Where are we going?" he asked after a few moments of silent walking. Fuu looked up at him, shaken from her thoughts by his voice.

"To the butcher," she said, realizing what he'd said.

"You mean you're going to cook?" he asked. "Do you even know how!" It seemed strange, but in all the time that he'd known her, it had never dawned on him that Fuu might know how to do something as womanly as cooking. Well, there were the times that they all cooked over a campfire, but that didn't count, especially since he'd been the one to show them how to do it.

"Mugen," she said with a dead-pan expression, "you met me when I was working in a resturant."

"Oh yeah," he remembered. Feeling kind of stupid, he decided to shut up for once.

XXXXX

The village market place was suprisingly busy for that time of the evening. Women, with their children following closely, bustled from booth to booth, preparing for the evening meal. The warm glow of firelight and freindly laughter welcomed those in the street to come into the crowded resturants. Fuu sighed inwardly remembering her hometown.

Even with their meager pocket change, Fuu felt she had done very well. She'd managed to buy a handfull of slender green onions and a head of cabbage. At the meat vendor, she had made Mugen stay back so he couldn't 'ruin her act' she'd said. From a distance, he had watched as she -almost too easily- played the part of a poor pitiful girl who hadn't realized she didn't have enough money. At first the lean samurai had thought it was a retarded idea, but was stunned when Fuu flashed the butcher a shy and feminine smile that she'd never used on him and Jin. The older man behind the stand had melted, finally using the excuse that the meat would be bad by tomorrow anyways. Mugen didn't know if even he could've said no to that. 

The past few days, he'd learned quiet a few of Fuu's secrets. Hopefully, in the near future, he'd learn quite a few more. Mugen smirked crookedly at the thought of what other secrets and talents Fuu might have. Before he knew it, he'd slipped into a daydream about a few of them.

"Mugen . . . Mugen! MUGEN!" He blinked. Fuu stood before him, on the verge of being pissed. "Welcome back," she said, arching an eyebrow. "What were you thinking about?"

Mugen stetched magnificently, trying to look casual and hide the fact that he'd been thinking about her. "Oh, just wondering if there was any sort of red light district in a place like this," he said scratching his head and wincing when he accidentally brushed up against his sore cheek.

Fuu's face turnned an angry pink, and he could've swore the vein on her forehead was doing a little dance for him. To his suprise, she didn't say anything, only fummed for a second before turnning away from him and starting the walk back to the cabin. He smiled at her antics. It was so easy to tell that she had a crush on him and Jin. She just got jealous so easy. He smiled to himself and followed after her.

The pair made their way back up the hill toward the edge of town. Mugen hung back aways so he could watch Fuu and think without interuption. She carried herself different here, he noticed. Fuu kept her back straight and her face forward. When she was around him and Jin, she seemed more relaxed, like there was no one to impress. Fuu had probably only reasoned that her efforts were wasted on the two samurai. Of course, he thought, neither of them had given her any reason to believe otherwise. Maybe it was part of her act to cover up her skills too, Mugen thought, looking at the ground. Maybe she was extra sloppy in her stature around them, just in case they might've picked up on the little things that could've given her away.

Fuu stopped and looked back at him to make sure he was still behind her. She didn't know why he was being so slow tonight. Usually, Mugen would've been charging ahead and yelling back at her to hurry up. Something was bothering him. Maybe he had a headache from his sore jaw. Or maybe, Fuu thought, he was thinking about the day before. She really wished that he wouldn't dwell on it. After all, she'd never tell him anything he wanted to know if things went as planned. She quickly looked away from him before he saw that she was looking at him to the beautiful scene behind him. The sun had sunken about half way below the horizon of the ocean, and it glittered on the water. She sighed, watching it slowly sink as she waited for him to catch up.

Mugen looked up at her just in time to see her look away. He would've dwelled more on the thought if he hadn't seen something else. Behind her in the crowd, a man about his age was making his way toward them, bumping into people casually and unneccesarily. Mugen hastened his step to get to Fuu before he did, thinking back to the times when Fuu had been pickpocketed or kidnapped on their journey and hadn't done a damn thing about it just so she could keep them from finding out. Either she'd figured she could've gotten herself out of the situation on her own if they didn't come for her, or she really did trust the two of them with her life.

He grabbed her left hand and pulled her around so he was between her and the pickpocket. "Mugen! What are you doing!" she yelled, more suprised than angry at him. She tried to pull away, but he held on tightly. The man made the move to bump into him, and Mugen felt the hand go into his pocket. Mugen smiled, not only because he knew that he didn't have a coin to his name, but because he'd taken the liberty of dipping into the other man's pocket in the process. He was pleasantly suprised to find that the pickpocket had been very busy this evening. Fuu finally yanked her hand out of his grasp, causing him to bump into the man as he was depositing the hefty sum of money into his pocket.

"Hey!" the man yelled at him, spinning Mugen around to face him. Mugen flashed the pickpocket a take-no-shit scowl as he grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to where the man could hear him whisper.

"Listen here, you little bastard," he growled, "I've watched you pick off of everyone on this street, and I'd be fucking happy to let every one of them know what happened to their money and kick your ass right here and now for their viewing pleasure. Or, you can keep moving and make up for your loss without making a scene."

The man huffed, pushing himself away from the intimidating samurai. "You better remember this, Asshole," he muttered, pointing a finger threateningly at Mugen.

"I don't think I can," Mugen said, grabbing it and breaking it at the knuckle, making the pickpocket fall to his knees screaming in pain. "You'd better come remind me later," he added with a crooked smirk.

He looked down at Fuu, who was dumbstruck by the scene. She looked up at him, feeling his hand on her shoulder, pushing her forward. "Mugen?" she stammered. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he said, producing the handful of coins he'd lifted from his pocket and handing them to her. "I just pickpocketed a pickpocket."

Fuu thought about saying something, but decided against it. He'd just funded the next few days of their journey, if they spent it sparingly, and she wasn't about to complain.

"Fuu," he said. She looked up from putting the money into her coin purse. "You don't have to act like a clumsy moron around me anymore," Mugen said after a few silent moments.

Fuu's face went beat-red. "That WASN'T what I was trying to act like!" she said firmly

"So, you're saying that that part just comes natural?" he asked, getting a slap across the face. At least, she'd taken the care not to hit him on the side that was bruised. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if she even held back when she did stuff like that. He smiled a little, even though the slap had stirred up the throbbing on the other side of his face.

"No I wasn't!"

They continued up the hill in tense silence. The crowd had dwindled and there were only a few villagers remaining on the streets. The sun had sank all the way below the horizon, leaving the only the orange glow of twilight to light the way. Fuu looked up at her companion. He always looked less 'course' in this light. His eyes looked softer, and the gaunt angular bones in his cheeks didn't stand out so much.

"What would it take to make you fight?" he asked, after a long silence.

"Eh?" Fuu was stirred from her thoughts.

"I want to see it, Fuu," he stated, looking down at her again. She was looking at her feet, and even in the waning light, he could see the blush on her cheeks. Fuu really didn't like talking about it.

"Mugen . . ." she murmered, looking up at him with a defeated look on her face. "Please don't ask me about that. I am ashamed of it," she said, "No one was ever ment to see it."

Mugen could feel it now. It was practically radiating off of her, and he felt compelled to comfort her. He put his hand on her shoulder and stopped her, gently turnning her to face him. The criminal and animal inside of him somehow wanted her more because of it, but the human side of him, the part of him that he sometimes forgot was there, felt for her.

"You killed someone." It was a statement more than a question. Tears burnned in her eyes, and she hung her head even lower. She wanted to just run away. Run away from Mugen. Run away from Jin. She even wished she could run away from herself. Fuu felt Mugen's rough hand on her cheek, gently making her look up at him. Why did it take so much pain on her part for him to act so tender, she wondered.

"He was going to kill my mother," she explained.

Mugen sighed, pulling her to him for a half-hearted, one-armed hug. "Then you had to do it," he said, starting to walk again with her under his arm. "There is no shame in that." Fuu looked up at him. For once, Mugen looked thoughtful. "Killing doesn't make you any less of a person, it just makes you a different person. It's when you start to NOT feel guilty or ashamed of it that you start to become less of a person," he said, his smiled fading a little..

Funny how Fuu had never thought Mugen had a brain in his head, but if someone would've asked her tonight, she'd have swore he was wise beyond his years. "Thank you," she said, leaning into him a little, letting herself indulge for once. Then she pulled away from him, not wanting to tease herself with any stupid ideas. Mugen watched, a little hurt, as she walked on ahead of him. He understood that the opposite sex was a complex creature, and someone like him had no chance of ever understanding everything there was to know about them, but Fuu took the cake. Mugen knew that she was attracted to him. He could see it sometimes in the way she looked at him or the way she got jealous when he went to the brothel. But why could he not get her to act on it.

The path they followed ran into the woods where the houses were more sparse. By now, night had fallen, and the moon was their only light to walk by. Fuu couldn't stop thinking about how warm and firm his body had felt under his shirt. 'Good greif,' she thought to herself, 'I'm going to loose my mind before this whole thing is over if he keeps this up.' Maybe Mama could close her eyes just for one night, Fuu joked to herself with a sigh. One night to do what she wanted with him. One night to have Mugen all to herself. She burnned at her core at the thought of it. But what would she do with him if she had him in that situation? Fuu didn't know anything about that sort of thing aside from the little tidbits of whisperings she'd heard at the brothels she'd been kidnapped and taken to. She'd probably put him to sleep compared to some of the women he'd been with.

A rustle not too far away from them in the undergrowth of the forest caught her attention. It didn't sound like an animal, too clumsy. She thought about hanging back and letting Mugen take care of it, but on second thought, why not take a brake from the act like he'd suggested. Not kill anyone, she reasoned, just vent a little frustration. Fuu grabbed the handle of ther tanto and pulled it out. Her hand was sweating already at the anticipation.

Mugen had stopped already, hearing the approaching footsteps. His hand had been poised over the handle of his sword when he'd heard something else. There was a gentle shink ahead of him. He took a second to look away from the spot the thing in the woods would come from and looked up the path at Fuu. Her knife was drawn to his suprise and excitement. So, she'd heard it to, he thought, satisfied. Plus, she felt like pulling her own weight for the first time. The lean samurai smiled, making a note on his mental checklist to leave one or two for her so he could watch.

Just as Mugen expected, the man from earlier in the evening sprung from the bushes holding his hand and screaming. "There he is! Kill him!" Five others, weilding whatever weapon that they'd found on the trip up quickly emerged from the bushes after him.

"Oi," he smiled, pulling his sword out, "I forgot already," he taunted as he releived the first attacker of his left hand with one swift and fluid motion. The man fell to the ground screaming as the blood pooled beneath him. The next came charging up stupidly; what had happened to his freind probably hand't even regestered in his mind yet. He slashed at Mugen with the rusty sword he'd brought. The samurai looked genuinely bored. He hopped backwards out of the way of the first advance. A dodge here, a backflip there, he thought to himself, going down the checklist he'd made minutes before. At this rate, he wouldn't even get his heart rate up, he thought, leaping over his attacker and landing behind him. The man had turnned around just in time to see the flash of Mugen's sword as he returned it to his side. It hadn't even occured to him that his legs didn't work anymore, until he collapsed to the ground, feeling warm blood oozing from the neat gash across his lower back.

Only one man had ran past Mugen to Fuu. She was slightly relieved and slightly upset. First of all, at least she only had to fight one of them, but she shouldn't have had to fight any. Who would ever attack a girl! 'The nerve of some people,' she thought, readying herself. The man swung at her, and she deflected it effortlessly. There was no way she could bring a sword to a hault like Jin and Mugen could. Maybe against a female of her own build, but not against a man. She just didn't have the upper body strength. But, relying in her speed to smack the strike out of the air was nothing.

After a few more strikes that led to no results her attacker must've realized that he might be up against more than a defensless woman with a knife and some dumb luck. Fuu smiled at the nervous look on his face. That just pissed him off more and he charged at her again lashing out with his sword. Fuu did a petite little backflip to dodge it. She was pretty acrobatic. It was nothing compared to what Mugen could do,and she had no where near his flexibility, but it was enough to handle most adversaries. A pang of pain in her shoulder reminded her she was out of practice, but this guy was slow - REAL slow. It took nothing to avoid him. Fuu gracefully twisted out of the way of a very sloppy chop he made at her. At this rate, she thought, she'd hardly have to fight at all. Maybe she could just wear the fight out of him.

The last two that had been poised to attack Mugen looked doubtful now. He'd give them a chance, he thought, waiting for them to make their move. The pickpocket had the same look of doubt of his face now. What had he gotten himself into? "D . . . don't just stand there!" he screamed, backing away toward the underbrush he'd come from. "Do something!"

With that, the last two looked at each other and lept at their target. Mugen grinned wildly, charging at them. "Wrong choice!" he announced, bringing his sword up in one smooth slash. The two men barely had the time to gurggle in regret before they hit the ground dead. Mugen shook the blood off of his sword and sheathed it as he turnned to face the pickpocket. It didn't suprise him to see that he'd chose not to hang around. The sound of clanking metal brought his mind out of the mild adrenalin rush, and he looked for his companion. What he saw made him hard almost instantly. His little Death Goddess was actually enjoying herself as she tired out the last of their attackers, and she was absolutely beautiful as she did it.

He leaned up against a tree and watched as she practically danced circles around the miserable looking man. "Hey," he shouted, making both of them stop and look at him. "All your freinds are gone," he said motioning with his head toward the four dead bodies and where the ring leader of this whole escapade had been, "I'm thinking maybe you should give up." Mugen drew his sword and took a menacing stance, and the man all but stumbled over his own feet trying to get away. After he'd dissappeared from sight, Mugen looked back at Fuu. She was breathing deep, he noted. It had been a while since she'd done this, he thought. Fuu looked back at him from the spot where her attacker had vanished into the night.

He was still in his fighting stance and grinning like he was insane. As soon as she made eye contact with him, he charged at her. "Mugen . . . ?" was all she had time to get out before he slashed his sword down at her. 'HE'S NUTS!' she thought, barely able to deflect it and roll out of the way of his almost instant second attack. Fuu scrambled to get back on her feet. She could feel him coming up behind her fast. At the last possible split second she turnned around and swiped his advancing blow out of harm's way. CLANG CLANG CLANG Her arms were getting numb from the vibrations, and with every strike he made she had to take a step back from the force of it. There was no time to duck or roll out of the way, and there sure as hell wasn't enought time or room to counter any attacks he made. He was just too damn fast. All she could do was keep parrying his attacks and pray that she didn't miss. Fuu was at the limits of her fighting abilities, and what made her even more uneasy was that she knew Mugen was barely warming up.

After a few intense moments of tedious and trying deflecting she felt something hard a her back. Mugen had guided her to a tree. She could feel the roughness of the bark under her kimono. She'd have been dead at the first blow if that had been what he'd wanted, but he'd toyed with her up until this point. What in the world he was up to, she had no idea, but surely he'd stop soon. To her horror, he didn't stop. In fact, once she was up against the tree, he knocked the tanto out of her hand with a suprisingly powerful blow and raised his sword for what appeared to be the terminating blow.

"MUGEN!" she screamed, shrinking down the tree as far away from him as she could and closing her eyes.

Silence. For what felt like an eternity there was pure silence. Even the wildlife of the forest seemed to be holding it's breath. Was she dead? Fuu was hesitant about opening her eyes, but after another few moments, she couldn't take the suspense anymore. She slowly opened one eye.

Mugen was face to face with her, and before she could open the other eye from the shock of his closeness, he grabbed her around her waist and pulled her up with him as he stood to his full height, leaving her feet dangling. Fuu gasped as he pressed her back against the tree and pinned her to it with his own body as he leaned in so that he was nose to nose with her. Fuu's world had tilted on it's axis and her head was still swiming from the fight, but the feeling of his breath on her lips and the look in his hooded dark eyes made her body feel like it was on fire. The forbidden place between her legs felt wet, and it felt like every cell in her body was screaming to be with him.

If she had been able to put two thoughts together long enough to remember her name, she might've resisted him, but when he slowly closed the gap between them, closing his eyes in the process, her body was in control when she tipped her head forward to complete the motion. Their lips met softly, and for a few unforgettable moments it stayed that way - soft and gentle. She could feel his heart racing in his chest that was pressed against her. She knew hers had to have been beating just as fast from the exertion she'd put out during the fight, but Fuu knew his couldn't have been from such a small scuffle.

Mugen relished in the feeling of her body's rising temperature. She wanted him; he could almost smell it on her. He wanted her too. Fuck, did he want her! His mind reeled at the sensation of her finishing the kiss. He deepened it, opening his lips to taste her. She was hesitant at first, but as soon as he felt her lips part slightly, he pressed his lips into her's hard enough to push her head back against the tree again. Mugen felt Fuu's chest hitch a little in a gasp, but she didn't resist him. His tounge darted into her small mouth and tangled with hers, which seemed almost unsure of itself. He smiled to himself. She'd never been this far, he thought. He was more than happy to coax her into learning how this sort of thing was done.

Fuu was slowly coming back to reality, but she was still far from caring about her current situation. Slowly and almost cautiously, she raised her hands up to his elbows. As the kiss deepened, she felt her way up the taunt and powerful muscles of his arms up to his shoulders where she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and tangled her fingers in his suprisingly soft mess of hair.

He pulled away from their kiss and breathed deep before leaning back in to whisper heatedly into her ear. "I want you," he said huskily, lowering her back to the ground so that his hands were free to slip down the soft material over her thighs and slowly pull it up inch by inch past her knees towards the center of the heat her body was making. She felt a hardness being pressed against her stomach and was about to act on her initial thoughts on what to do when her conscience came screaming back to life.

"N . . . no," she stammered, squirmming out from between him and the tree. "I . . . I can't," she said, quickly gathering herself and what little dignity she felt like she had left. Hastily and halfheartedly, she straightened out her kimono while murmmering over and over. "I can't. I just can't."

Mugen was too dumbstruck to fight her or argue with her or scream at her. All he could do was stare as she quickly, checked herself over and fumbled over and over with her nervous and shakey hands. It was dark now, but he could still tell that she was blushing furiously and refused to look at him. Mugen heard her sniffle a little, trying to hide her crying as she quickly put back on the sandals that had fallen off when he'd picked her up. Before he had time to stop her and ask what was wrong, she'd grabbed up her knife and was running back up towards Kagemaru-san's cabin - back to the safety of Jin.

He just stood there and watched her go. What was she doing to him? Did she even realize she was doing it? Everything about her screamed that she wanted him, but she just wouldn't do anything. Sure, he could tell she was a virgin, but there was something deeper there than just the fear of losing that. He just knew it. Maybe when his mind stopped reeling and his jaw stopped throbbing, he'd sit down and figure it out.

XXXXX

Little bit of lemonade there at the end. Hopefully there'll be some good stuff soon.

Anyways, like I said, give me a while before you start giving me reviews about where I'm at. Keep reading and keep reviewing.

IB 


	5. Chapter 5

Ever read one of those horribly depressing fics? You know the kind. Some person who writes screenplays for soap operas got bored, and a hellspawn of a fic is born. It's so well written that you read four or five chapters of it, because you can't stop yourself, but you go to bed at night feeling dirty and betrayed by your favorite character.

I made the mistake of reading a few of those not too long ago for SamCham. I found a whole festering clump of them tucked away on some rotten site at about 1am one night and couldn't help myself. I felt dirty afterward - violated, so I decided to work on my fic some more. Make the world a little bit better.

XXXXX

WARNING: SLOW CHAPTER AHEAD. AUTHOR NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR READERS FALLING ASLEEP AT THE KEYBOARD.

Sorry guys, but I can't have Mugen and Fuu do the fun stuff until there's a reason to that fits into the plot ;)

XXXXX Chapter 5 Thoughts and Dreams XXXXX

Mugen sat on an outcropping of rock overlooking the sea and the moon's shimmering reflection in it. It was almost like home, he thought. The salty sea wind was blowing up from the harbor, tangling itself in his dark hair. The sounds of the waves gently crashing onto the shore and the sea birds calling each other as they flew home almost soothed his tired body and mind.

Fuu had exhausted him both physically and mentally, all in one night. He closed his eyes and sighed, recapping the events that had led to him still being awake and out here right now. Why was she fighting what she obviously wanted to do? When he'd had her up against the tree, and they were tangled up in both body and emotion only hours earlier, she'd wanted him. Mugen could remember her heat and smell; how every cell of his body was practically reaching out to be with hers. 

Mugen had been with many women in his short life, but very very few of them had ever radiated a need to be with him like Fuu had. And, never had the outcast samurai ever felt like he had that night with her. This girl did something to him. He hadn't decided for sure if he liked it yet, but if she didn't return whatever it was soon, Mugen was pretty sure that he would go insane.

XXXXX

Fuu slept fitfully on her thin mattress, her mind plagued by haunting dreams. Over and over again, she watched helplessly as she killed the poor farmer. She didn't know why or how, but it was almost like her mind had vividly recorded every painful detail of the event and played it back like she was really there. Everything, right down to the sound of her mother's wailing and the way his blood had felt warm on her hand.

She sat up, half asleep, and resituated herself in hopes that it would sort of 'resituate' her mind too. As soon as her head touched the pillow she was thrown into a much different dream to her relief, but she didn't know if it was a better one.

XXXXX

She felt strong arms around her waist - her naked waist. They were pleasantly smooth and warm to the touch, making her skin tingle. Fuu felt a kiss on her neck, followed by another, and another. After a few moments of the electrifying sensation, the kisses turned into gentle sucking, almost like tasting. With much effort, she opened her eyes in the dream to find herself in a dark and cozy room. She couldn't see who was behind her, but she didn't have to.

The arms around her - one hand resting lazily near her navel and the other just beginning to explore the soft contours of a milky-white breast - both were darkly tanned and clearly tattooed with familiar blue bands.

"Mugen . . ." she murmured, touching the resting hand at her waist, and catching the more naughty one just as her back was beginning to arch with the pleasure of its touch.

The feeling of his mouth at her neck vanished, leaving a vividly real feeling of coolness where it had been. "Fuu," he whispered in her ear huskily, making her shiver from something other than the cool feeling. "I'd die for you."

She was just about to turn around to face him and indulge herself in the realness of the dream, when he was suddenly gone.

The dark room had been replaced by a bright white place that felt almost like the outdoors. At first she felt as if she was alone, then she saw Mugen's body, clothed, laying on the ground. It was strange how he looked - how she looked, she realized, looking at her hand that had reached out to touch him. They looked hazy and out of focus, and there was no color in their skin or clothing. Everything was in black and white and scarce variations of gray.

'Mugen,' she mouthed, but no worlds came out. However, she could hear her voice in her mind. He didn't hear her; he didn't move. Soon, they weren't alone. All of a sudden, there were a dozen or more figures around them, hazy and colorless as well. They wore strange clothes, and she couldn't see their faces. 'Who are you?' she asked, waiting to feel fear, but the feeling never came. She was at peace somehow, but the figures didn't hear her. 

Somehow, without hands and without moving, they picked up Mugen's lifeless body and proceeded to move away from her. She wanted to scream, but it was fruitless. In a last ditch effort, Fuu attempted to grab a hold of Mugen and pull him back to her, but he didn't budge from his place as he floated along in the morbid procession.

'MUGEN!' she cried, falling to her knees, helpless as they carried him away from her.

As they got further away, she could see their reflections, like they were walking on water. Then, she could only see the reflections, making it look like they were standing upside down. Then, they were all gone, and she was left crying mutely with only a few blurry birds to watch her suffer.

XXXXX

"NO!" she cried, sitting up in bed, still reaching out desperately with her arms. Startled by the change of scenery and her own voice, she shuddered, bringing her arms back to her and pulling her knees up tight against her chest. 

At first, she didn't know where she was, but the sight of Jin laying not too far from her near the fireplace reminded her of everything. He slept soundly, regardless of her cries. Before he'd gone to sleep, she'd given him a little bit of the drug the healer had given her for his back. Fuu thought about taking some of it herself for the night, but then realized how horrible it might be to not be able to wake up if the nightmare came back.

She shuddered, laying back down and pulling herself into an even tighter ball under the blanket. Fuu felt like she was going to be sick, but before she let the feeling overwhelm her, she remembered Mugen. He hadn't gotten home before she and Jin had gone to bed. Quickly, the blanket was thrown back again, and she scanned the room.

If she hadn't been looking for him, she wouldn't have seen him. He'd found a dark corner of the cabin, out of the reach of the moon's light. He was lying on his stomach on the wooden floor using one arm as a pillow, and the other was stretched out, clasping his sword that lay close by.

That was funny, she thought. Fuu had never seen him sleep holding his sword. Yes, he always slept with it close at hand, but never actually holding it. As her eyes adjusted, she could see why.

His head was turned so he was facing her, and eyes heavy with sleep were looking across the floor at her. She let a breath out that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. He was okay, she mentally reassured herself. Fuu had just startled him awake.

She smiled weakly at him in the dark, not knowing if he could see her or not. "I'm okay," she whispered, on the verge of crying. "Sorry I woke you."

With that, he let go of his sword and curled his arm back under his head where the other one was, but he didn't close his eyes. Fuu nestled her head back into the pillow and watched him for a while. The steady rise and fall of his chest and the soft noises of his and Jin's breathing soothed her. And, it wasn't until her eyes began to close with sleep that she realized he was waiting to make sure she went back to sleep.

XXXXX

The next morning the trio was on the road again. Instead of following the shoreline to the island, they had decided to take a shortcut across the northern peninsula. The morning was hazy, and the air felt heavy with the promise of future rain. 

All three travelers walked without saying much, each lost in his or her own thoughts. Jin had woke before the sun had risen, refreshed and feeling much better. Now, at the head of their procession, he recalled the previous nights events in quiet thought.

Fuu had came in just after the sun had gone down. Something had happened to upset her. Her brown eyes, which were usually sparkling with youth and intelligence had been puffy and red from crying. Instead of being lively, they looked distant and Fuu appeared to be deep in thought about something. He hadn't asked. First of all, Jin really wasn't much for trying to understand women's problems. The dark-haired samurai had mastered bujitsu, but he knew when something was beyond his capabilities. Plus, even if he had asked, Fuu probably wouldn't have wanted to talk about it.

There was really no suspecting to do. Whatever had upset her, it probably had something to do with who'd shown up hours later after they'd eaten their small supper of rice and gone to bed. Jin, who'd been beginning to feel the effects of the special tea Fuu had given him, had listened with half an ear as Mugen had wolfed down what remained in the wooden rice bowl then lay down without even looking for a pillow or blanket and went to sleep.

Later in the night, he'd heard Fuu cry out in her sleep. He'd opened his eyes, with much effort, long enough to confirm that she was okay, then fell almost instantly back into his deep sleep. He definitely wouldn't be drinking anymore of whatever she'd given him. True, it had helped relax and heal him, but if something would've happened to them in the night, he wasn't so sure that he would've been able to hold his own well enough to be any good in a fight.

Fuu followed behind Jin. After the nightmare about Mugen being taken away by the strange ghosts, she'd slept soundly and deeply. But, now all she could think about was how she'd felt without him and about what he'd said to her before he'd been taken away. 'I'd die for you.'

She didn't doubt that he'd meant what he'd said in her dream. On their journey, he'd almost gotten himself killed several times. It had never been directly because he'd been doing it for her, but she'd always felt responsible for it afterward. Fuu knew that if the chance to prove himself to her ever arose, especially after the more recent events and discoveries, he'd be sure to not let her down. Fuu hoped that that would never happen.

There was only a couple days left for them to be together, at most, she reasoned with a heavy heart. Surely, nothing would happen in those few days. Fuu wanted more than anything for Mugen to go on being good old Mugen after she left them. What he was feeling for her now couldn't be too serious, and he'd be over it before he'd gotten out of sight of the island. Of course that's how it would happen, she smiled weakly, with her head hung.

Wouldn't it?

Tomorrow or the next day would be the last time that she'd be able to spend with Mugen, Fuu thought. It wasn't fair to him to be denying him what he wanted, but what he wanted was all that Fuu had now. But what if he really did feel something for her and he wasn't just trying to get her on her back? This was so hard and confusing.

Mugen watched Jin and Fuu's backs. This situation frustrated the piss out of him. damnit, if women thought more like men, the world would be a whole lot better place. Shit. He wanted to say something to her to try and smooth things over, but what could he say that wouldn't make her cry, make her pissed, or worst of all, make her never let him see her fight like that again.

Mugen felt something for Fuu that was different and stood apart from the primal urge he felt toward other women. It wasn't just because of what had happened of the course of the past few days either. There had always been something there that was different. The only way he could begin to describe it was by thinking back to the beginning of this crazy journey. He'd protected her up until now. 

Fuu was something worth protecting - something worth saving in his fucked up life. He never would have done even half the shit that he did for this whining, screaming, breastless, bottomless pit of a woman for even the most alluring whore. And, yes - that was even counting that one time . . . with that one woman . . . underground . . .

All of that and more unexplainable things that he couldn't begin to understand made this woman beautiful. One of the most important though was her ability to take care of herself. Mugen loved busting in and saving the day for big bosomed virgins as much as the next guy that lived and breathed, but there was just something about this one that wasn't like all of the helpless and (after the morning came and he was already out of town) useless women he'd been with before. What the hell was a guy like him going to do with a delicate and dainty woman after he slept with her? Take her on the road with him? That made Fuu beautiful to him most of all - that there was a possibility he could be with her after the morning came.

More than anything, Mugen wanted to watch her spar with him again. He liked fighting better than fucking any day, but what he'd done with her the previous night had been neither. If she'd only let him go a little farther. If Fuu had only let him take her to a secluded place, somewhere that they could listen to the sea, and lay her down and finish what he'd started. If she'd only let him, Mugen felt that he would've actually made love for the first time.

XXXXX

As sunset drew closer, the skies darkened with clouds and thunder rolled gently in the distance. The trees' tops all swayed in a lulling wind, the light undersides of their leaves showing.

As the first raindrops began to fall, three men, one in a wooden wheelchair made their way past the crossroads where only hours earlier, Mugen, Fuu, and Jin had passed on their way across the peninsula.

XXXXX

Sorry for such the huge breaks between chapters and for such a short chapter to boot, but it just wouldn't have fit in with the next one, and it wasn't the same kind of mood as the last one. Anyways, thanks for reading, and keep reviewing!

IB 


	6. Chapter 6

Hi guys. Bethca never though you'd see me again. nervous chuckle Sorry for the long looooong wait, but all of your persistent reviewing and one personal message finally paid off. I just felt so darned guilty every time I opened my email and saw people were still reading my story. Give me SOME slack though. During the entire time I haven't posted, I've graduated from college, gotten married, got a job, and bought/moved into a house. I've been busy.

XXXXX Chapter 6 Someone Special XXXXX

A young woman dressed in a pale blue kimono with a pattern of goldfish on it sat patiently waiting in a luxuriously decorated entry room. Before her was a tray with a small bottle of sake and an empty cup. Her eyes were closed as if in meditation, but she wasn't as 'off-guard' as one might have thought. Also on the tray before her, a letter of summoning had been placed.

A door at the other end of the room slid open, and her stone colored eyes opened. A servant entered, politely bowing.

"The councilor can see you now, Kotomi-sama," he said, straightening. "He is in the garden whenever you are ready.

The woman nodded and rose, walking to the door and allowing the servant to lead her to go-roujuu's garden.

The bright sunlight gleamed off of her ebony black hair as she entered the inner garden. The portly councilor looked up from the koi that had gathered at the sight of who usually fed them. He nodded his head in approval and motioned toward a nearby stone bench.

"Will you sit, Kotomi-kun?" he asked looking back at the fish briefly before walking to her.

"Thank you Councilor, but I am fine," she stated flatly. "Why did you send for me?" she asked, cutting to the chase.

With a sigh, the heavily set man sat on the bench. There was a brief moment of contemplation before he answered her. "Sera has failed," he said, watching the hawk-like beauty of her face for a reaction. But, there was none. "This is your one chance to prove yourself. Don't fail me."

"I see," Kotomi said, bowing. "I will not let you down, Councilor."

"They are nearly to the island, so time is of the essence," he said. "If you fail us as well, then we will have no choice but to ask . . ."

"You will not have to ask his help."

The man watched as the woman opened the door to the garden. "They are formidable opponents, Kotomi. Do not take them lightly."

XXXXX

Fuu slept lightly that night. A summer thunderstorm had rolled in from the mountains, and what usually made her sleep better was now keeping her from slipping into that good deep sleep.

The rain beat steadily on the roof of the small inn that they had found. There was a hot spring located here, and a small 'resort' had sprung up around its remote location. Since they'd had plenty of money after Mugen's pickpocketing raid, Fuu had rented two rooms instead of one, thinking that a little time alone would help her organize her thoughts.

But, it hadn't. After taking the first real bath she'd had in a long time and washing her kimono, she'd sat and meditated for the most part on Mugen and what to do about the situation between him and her. Fuu knew that after they reached the island, she would sneak off without them. At first it had been because she didn't know if she could say goodbye without crying. Now, it was the coward's way of getting out of confronting Mugen and how he felt about her.

The young woman rolled over, half asleep and snuggled her cheek against the soft warm body of Momo-san who was snoozing soundly on her pillow. Just as she was about to doze off again, she sensed something. Something didn't feel right. Outside, she could've swore she heard something.

To amplify her ill feeling, a flash of lightning brightened the screens of her room and thunder rolled off into the distance. Fuu sat up slowly, grabbing her tanto and letting the blanket slip off of her. Just before the last of the thunder faded she could've swore she heard it again - slow footsteps on the decking outside her door.

Without a sound she sat up and crept across the small room to the wall beside the door. Whoever it was was making a serious effort to be quiet. Beside the door she waited and watched. A moment later, she saw a silhouette on the screens. Whoever it was that was creeping around at this hour had their hair tied up and was carrying some sort of sickle.

Fuu felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She gripped the handle of the knife as she watched them approach the door. Maybe they were just late comers that were trying to be quiet as they made their way to their room.

But whoever it was wasn't that. The door to her room silently slid open a crack and Fuu could hear someone's clothes rustling over the rain. After what felt like an eternity, the door slid back again and the person moved on. Fuu stayed there and listened and watched as stray raindrops made their way in through the crack between the door and sill that the person had left.

The minutes ticked by, but Fuu refused to move. She couldn't be sure that they were gone. The rain drowned out any sort of noise that she could've used to tell. All she could think about now was what would they have done if she'd been in her bed sleeping when they'd opened the door. And, what if they weren't gone yet, and they heard her move?

It had to have been at least ten minutes before she dared to move out of the corner of the room and back to her bed. Instead of slipping back under the blanket though, she put her kimono on over the thin one she wore now and crept back toward the door. A peek outside would be a risk, but she just had to be sure they were gone.

Before she got halfway from her bed back to the door, she heard different footsteps coming from the way the other person had gone. Her heart was thundering as loud as the rain by now. The footfalls were quiet as well, but it sounded like a different person. The wooden boards sounded like they were carrying a different weight. Whoever this was was moving faster too. Quickly, she made her way back to her position beside the door.

She watched in horror as the door slid open again and a hand came in to push the door the rest of the way. Before she could think, the tanto was drawn and coming down on the hand. A second too late, she realized that the hand had blue bands tattooed around the wrist. The knife sliced the meaty part of the thumb fairly deep before she pulled it back.

The knife was on the floor and Fuu had flung the door the rest of the way open before Mugen could finish saying "Oww, FUCK!"

"Oh, Mugen!" she said, grabbing his bleeding hand and pulling him in, shutting the door behind him. "I'm so sorry."

"What the hell was that for!" he seethed.

Fuu had sat down and was tearing up some bandages. "I thought you were someone else," she said, grabbing his good hand and pulling him down into a sitting position that was knee to knee with her. He pulled his sword off and lay it beside him with his good hand so he could sit.

"You saw him too?" Mugen asked, suddenly the injury meant nothing.

Fuu looked up from the scrap material, and nodded. "He opened my door like you did," she said. "That's why you got stabbed." Fuu pulled his hand into her lap and began to wrap the bandage around his palm and thumb. "Why in the hell didn't you knock?"

"I thought you'd be asleep," he said irritably, "Not waiting to attack me!"

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes, "I said I was sorry. Besides, you've almost bled to death at least once since I've known you. I don't think this is going to kill you."

She looked up at him, and actually noticed how different he looked. The rain had soaked him to the bone and his hair was hanging limp. With his hair a little more tamed, Mugen almost looked like a whole other person. Except for that scowl. That was a genuine Mugen original. Fuu couldn't help but smile at the change.

"What?" he asked, noticing her. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," she snickered, "You just look so pitiful."

Her eyes wandered a little further south of his head, and she realized he wasn't wearing his shirt. The stranger must've woke him up, she reasoned. Mugen HAD to know how amazing he looked, she thought to herself. His lean torso was traced by very appealing lines formed by his taunt muscles. Just below his faintly rippled abdomen, Fuu traced the smooth V-shape to where it disappeared beneath the waist of his shorts that were hanging a little lower than usual with the weight of the rainwater. Those same pants were sticking to his legs, and an interesting part of his inner thigh was dangerously highlighted by it.

Fuu blushed deeply, and was suddenly glad that it was dark.

Mugen smirked, seeing her look away, but chose not to say anything about it. He didn't want to get thrown back out into the rainy night just yet. Instead, he chose to watch her finish binding up his hand.

Fuu's hands were so small compared to his, he noticed. The strange sense of protectiveness warmed him a little, but he quickly shook the thought and continued to watch her. She was done bandaging it and was just holding it in her hands, staring at it with tired eyes. Maybe she was thinking the same thing, he thought.

Fuu couldn't help but explore this part of him. Since most of her night had been spent thinking about him, her mind was sort of fascinated with seeing him. His gaunt hands were rough and hard, and she could feel the stringy muscles beneath the skin.

"Thank you," he said, not pulling it away. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes," she said, letting him go. "I'm just a little tired and feel like starring, I guess." She thought he'd been talking about her sudden fascination with hands.

The two sat in awkward silence for several minutes, Mugen watching Fuu, and Fuu trying to watch anything but Mugen. The rain was the only sound, and lightning would occasionally light up the room.

"Did you see the person outside?" Fuu asked at last.

Mugen shook his head. "No. He was gone by the time we'd gotten out of bed and out the door."

"Jin's not still out in this is he?"

"He went back to bed after we'd looked around."

Fuu moved back over to her bed and pulled the blanket back. "Why didn't you?" she asked, looking back at him and seeing him watching the windows as another flash lit up the screens.

"I couldn't sleep anyways," he explained, standing up and looking back at her. "Too much on my mind."

Fuu probably knew exactly what he was talking about. She'd been up half the night thinking about the same thing, no doubt.

"I hadn't been sleeping well either," she told him. Then, hesitating she asked, "Are you in hurry to get somewhere?"

"Nah," he shook his head, opening the door to her room and peering out into the wild night. "I was just going to go down to the restaurant and get a drink."

Fuu watched him step out onto the decking. "You could stay here for a little while," she said out of nowhere. "I wouldn't mind a little company, if you'd want to talk," she added before he could get the wrong idea.

Mugen stopped and looked back at her. She looked older with her hair down, he noted. Also, without her breasts being bound up, there was a whole lot more maturity there than he'd noticed before. He smiled. More to himself than to her. Talk was all that they'd do, he was sure of it. But, talk was better than nothing.

"Sure," he said, coming back in and closing the door again. "Why not?"

Mugen wasn't much of a talker, and Fuu knew it. But they needed to talk, and he knew that they did. Where did she begin though? How could she straighten things out with him, if she hadn't even straightened them out with herself yet?

"Mugen," Fuu said, watching him sit down again. She thought about lighting a lamp, but if whoever it was was still out there, it might not be such a good idea. "What did you use to do before you started to . . . you know?"

Mugen closed his eyes and wished he'd have went out for a drink instead. "I've always done this," he stated simply, hoping that it would move this conversation to another topic quickly.

Fuu blinked. "I see." She folded her hands in her lap thoughtfully. "Where did you learn how to fight?"

Mugen smiled a little at the memories. "On Ryukyu, how I fight isn't so uncommon, you could say. I learned a lot of it just playing when I was younger. As boys got older, playing sort of evolved into fighting, and I guess I learned how to use what I knew a little faster than everyone else."

"What about your sword? Did you learn how to use it from who gave it to you?" she asked, fingering her tanto.

"Nah," he grinned. "I stole it not too soon after I left home."

"So it is true," Fuu grinned, "If you give a monkey a pen, he'll eventually write a sentence."

The samurai frowned at the comment. "Actually, its more like if others beat on you and fight with you long enough, you'll eventually get better than them."

Fuu's smile faded. "I'm sorry."

Mugen waved it off. "Don't be," he said, leaning back on his hands and wincing when he remembered his bandaged left thumb.

Mugen had a skill for learning things fast, Fuu knew. She knew from seeing how he'd learned to read in one night. Granted, he wasn't a great reader, but he'd still learned it in only a few hours. She could definitely see how such a trait would make him the way he was. Where he came from, it was learn fast or die young, and he wasn't dead yet. Plus, it also explained why she'd never seen any fighting style like it. How Mugen fought was a cut-and-paste version of every skill he'd seen others use. "So, is that why you want to fight Jin?" she asked. "You think he's better than you, and you feel threatened by him."

"I never said I thought he was better than me!"

"You didn't have to," Fuu smiled. She was starting to see things a little clearer now. He'd gotten this good on his own in such a short time because every man on Ryukyu probably thought the same way as he did. Kill the guy that's better than you, and you'll always be on top.' Fuu hoped she never had to see such a place.

"Let's change the subject," Mugen sighed, a little aggravated. "How did you learn how to fight?" Surely she'd answer that, especially after he'd told her that much about him.

Fuu was silent for a long time. She hadn't thought about her sensei in so long. "After my mother gave me Father's tanto, she sent me to a woman who'd been some sort of spy or assassin when she'd been younger. I learned a lot from her, but I'm sure it was like no other training anywhere else."

Fuu looked at Mugen and was satisfied to see that he was listening.

"She was caught on one of her assignments and was tortured," Fuu said, picking up the knife and absently examining it. "They burned out her eyes and turned her away. Instead of giving up completely, she chose to relearn tantojutsu."

Mugen held out his hand, and after some thought, Fuu gave him the tanto. He pulled it out and examined it.

"She was very old by the time I came to her, and she taught me how to fight how she had been taught, and she taught me how she had taught herself."

So that was why she'd listened that day at the creek, Mugen thought. She'd been taught by a blind woman. It had probably been the reason she'd warmed up to Sera so quick too.

"I'm nowhere near as good as she was," Fuu said, "but with both skills combined, I think I do okay."

"You do very well," Mugen said. He hated to give compliments, but he meant it. "For a girl anyways," he added with a smile. Even in the poor light, he could see Fuu's cheeks darken and her eyebrows knit.

"Are you saying I can't be as good as a man!"

"Of course I am," he said, his smiled broadening. "Fighting with a tanto takes a lot of strength if you want to do any damage," he added. "That's one of the reasons why you couldn't do a damn thing to me last night."

Fuu shrunk back a little from the challenge at the mention of the previous night. He was right about her being too weak to do anything back. She'd been too busy focusing all the strength she had on keeping him from slicing her in two.

"But skill and speed are important too," she said, grabbing her tanto back from the jerk's hands. Fuu hated it when guys reveled in their 'manliness.' And, that was just what Mugen was doing.

"Yeah, you're right. You were too slow too," he said, dodging a slap to prove his point.

"Well, I don't think Sensei trained me with YOU in mind," Fuu said after a brief pause for thought. "I think my skills have helped me through some pretty sticky situations, though."

"You're skill is good," he said quietly, his smiled sobering a little. "I can't argue with that. But, let me show you what I mean," he said drawing his sword.

"No, no!" Fuu said, scooting away from him. "I am NOT doing that again!" Never bring a knife to a sword fight, her teacher had told her, and it was sound advice.

"Alright," Mugen said putting it back in its sheathe. "How about like this?" he asked, pulling at the bottom of the sheathe to reveal a hidden tanto. Fuu's eyes widened. She would've never guessed that was there.

"Hmph," she smiled. This would probably only make things worse, and it was going against everything she was trying not to do. But, her pride was at stake now. "Alright."

Mugen's eye's brightened. What a night this was turning out to be. He walked back to the door and went to open it."

"Huh uh," Fuu said shaking her head with a smile. "I don't want to get wet. Let's just stay in here." She'd been watching Mugen fight for the past month or so and thought she might be onto something. When the lean samurai fought, he did it in a LOT of space. Maybe in a smaller space, he was at a disadvantage.

Mugen looked back at her and smiled. "Okay, but what about the neighbors?" He motioned to either side of her room. "I'm a screamer," he teased with a wink.

"I don't have any here," Fuu said with a smirk as she took her stance. "Scream all you want."

Mugen took a much different looking position than Fuu had ever seen. "Okay, let's do this," he smiled. "First to draw blood wins."

Fuu nodded. At that, he came at her. This time she was ready for him, and it helped a lot. His black knife slashed out at her, but she rolled out of the way, just barely missing it. Fuu countered his strike with an attempt to cut him across the shoulder. Mugen shifted out of the way awkwardly. 'Right about now, he'd be jumping and flopping all over the place,' Fuu thought, satisfied. But, if Mugen was uncomfortable with the situation, he wasn't showing it very much. He had one of those damned sexy smiles on his face the whole time.

Did she even realize how hot she was right now? Mugen doubted it. With her hair down now, she looked even more like a goddess to him. Plus, she was fighting a lot better now that she'd known he was coming. Her skill was quite impressive. He hadn't been flattering her about that. She was fast too, just not as fast as him. But, against any normal, run-of-the-mill yakuza, Fuu would've been a challenging adversary.

Before she'd drawn her tanto, Fuu'd taken off her regular kimono. In her sleeping one she was less weighted down and felt like she could maneuver better. Fuu didn't know it, and he wasn't about to tell her, but Mugen could definitely tell she was excited by one glance at her chest. Ugh, it was almost painful knowing that he couldn't do anything to her.

Fuu lashed out at his exposed shoulder again, but he barely managed to avoid it and countered the attack with an upward sweeping one of his own. Her fast reflexes were starting to come back to the surface after more than a year without training or morning exercises. Fuu didn't make a move to dodge his attack. Much to his surprise, she grabbed his arm at the wrist, using its momentum before he could think to stop it and twisted it behind him so that his face and torso were exposed to her for a brief second. Mugen smiled wickedly at her successful trick. And, before she could bring her knife up to make the winning cut, he surprised her, in turn, by flipping his entire body over her so that he was facing her again. Only now, he was back in his arm's natural position.

Still holding her hand, he leaned back to avoid a futile swipe, then in the split second that she was recomposing herself, he pulled her to him in almost the same position they'd been in at the creek. Thinking that she was finally his and victory was his for the taking, he brought his tanto up to her waist. Fuu again surprised him by snapping her head back and popping him smartly in the nose. He felt his eyes sting with tears at the sudden pain, but he didn't falter until she countered her attack by stamping his bare foot with her heal. That made him let her go, more out of feeling of fairness since she'd caught him off guard so well than because he couldn't take the pain.

Fuu knew Mugen was holding back since he didn't want to hurt her, but it sort of pissed her off a little. She felt like it was his way of rubbing his 'manliness' in again by dumbing down his fighting for her. Of course, she didn't want to seriously hurt him either, and she was holding back quite a few painful tricks too. But, it would definitely make her feel a whole lot more satisfied if she could win.

The fight continued the same way for several minutes. Strike, dodge, counter. Strike, dodge, counter. Finally, Fuu went to nick Mugen on the thigh, when he saw an opening and took it. It surprised her when he blocked the strike with his tanto instead of simply avoiding it. They clanged sharply and sang as they ran along each other's edges when he pushed her arm up and out of the way so he could move fast and make the winning cut.

It wasn't the 'winning cut' Fuu was expecting either. He'd managed to sever the silk sash holding her sleeping kimono on without cutting her skin. She fumed at how easily she'd been 'beaten.'

Mugen smiled with triumph and watched with satisfaction as she scrambled to gather the loose garment back around her. Fuu blushed angrily.

"I didn't bleed, so you didn't win," she pouted, trying to readjust so she didn't look so vulnerable.

"I guess I just didn't have the heart to hurt you," he smiled, but it faded a little as he rubbed his sore nose.

Fuu's scowl softened when he said this. He might not have known it, but he'd almost sounded like he'd cared there for a second. "Well, thanks," she huffed, trying to cover up her softening temper.

Once again, her heart was thundering in her ears, and Mugen looked like he hadn't even gotten a good warm up out of it. Damn him, making her defeat look like a cake walk. She hadn't always been this out of shape. If she'd gone up against Mugen when she'd still been fresh out of training . . . she wanted to think she could've kicked his ass all the way back to Ryukyu, but she doubted it.

"So," he said, picking up his katana and putting the tanto back into its secret home. "What do I get?" he asked, stepping back over to where Fuu was sitting down and wrapping her blanket around herself.

"What do you mean 'what do you get?" she asked, watching him sit down in front of her. "You were the one that wanted to show me something! You got what you wanted."

"Did I?" he asked, crawling closer to her. Fuu's breath caught in her throat as he crept onto the mattress with her and grabbed the blanket's edges that were just below her chin.

Here he goes again, she thought with dread and a heavy heart. This was what she'd really needed to talk to him about.

"Oh, Mugen," she sighed, grabbing his hands and pulling them away. "Please stop doing this to me."

"Why?" he asked softly, leaning back away from her. "Can you at least tell me why you're doing this to ME?" He looked up at her with a serious expression. "I want you, and you can't deny what you're feeling."

"Mugen . . ." she whispered, almost like in her dream. He was very right about that at the moment. He'd gotten her heart racing and even now that the fight was over, she couldn't get it to calm down. Just the thought of his arms around her like in her dream, made her wet and her body quiver. "I do want you. You're right," she admitted, "but I just can't do anything . . . like . . . like that."

"Like sex, you mean?" he said bluntly.

"Yes," she said awkwardly. "That's for someone special."

Mugen rolled his eyes in the dark, knowing that Fuu couldn't see him. Women and that 'someone special' they were always mentioning. Mugen wanted to meet this guy they were always talking about and punch him square in the nose. Damnit, he was special. And that had usually been what he'd convinced all of the other women he'd been with of. He couldn't do that to this woman though. Fuu had earned enough of his respect to get that at least.

"So, how about everything but?" he asked.

"Eh?" she chirped. What else was there, she wondered, besides all of the nasty things she'd done in the short times she'd been stuck at a brothel on their journey. If he was talking about that sort of thing, he could forget it. "You're telling me that you'd be satisfied doing something else besides getting me in bed?" she asked, suspiciously. If there was a tolerable way to satisfy him, maybe she wouldn't have to feel so guilty.

Mugen smiled thinly. She was showing how innocent she really was and didn't even realize it. "Sure," he said, leaning back on his hands again.

Fuu arched an eyebrow at him. He was sounding way too easygoing about this. That tone with Mugen usually meant he thought everything was going his way. "Like what?" she asked at last, pulling the blanket more tightly around her as if it could keep him out.

"Hmmm." He glanced around the room casually, playing this off as cool as possible. "It's not something that can really be explained . . ." he said innocently, meeting her gaze again. "Showing you would be better, I think," he said, sitting up again and crawling back to her.

"Mugen, I won't lie. I could probably put you to sleep with how much I don't know about this sort of thing," Fuu said shying away from his advances, still a little leery of his idea. But, when he reached out and touched her cheek so gently, her defenses all but melted.

"You'd be surprised at how much comes naturally," he whispered huskily. "Besides, I'm a very patient teacher."

Mugen smiled seriously, moving closer to her so that he was on the mattress as well. He moved his other hand up to the opposite side of the first one and pulled her toward him so that they were almost nose to nose. Mugen waited for her to finish it, the same as the night before.

Fuu was hesitant at first, but the feeling of him being so close to her like this was driving her insane. Would he really not go that far if she let him do this, she wondered. Her heart was racing by now, and she couldn't take the abuse anymore. Fuu guessed she'd find out.

Mugen closed his eyes when she finished the kiss and let his fingertips slip into her hair. Trying to cater to her was putting his body in an awkward position, and his back was starting to remind him of that. Making a bold move, he lowered his hands to her surprisingly shapely hips and pulled her out of her blanket and into his lap. She'd barely had time to start protesting, when he captured her lips again, silencing her.

Fuu felt his arms wrap around her waist and let herself be pulled to his chest as the kiss deepened. She closed her already hooded eyes and let herself relax. Oh, yes. This was what she wanted. Again, their tounges explored each other. Fuu smiled a little, faintly tasting sake.

Mugen pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. "What's too far?" he breathed.

Fuu blinked, bringing her hands up to his face and tangling her fingers in his still damp hair. It barely registered that it was raining now in her mind. "Sex is too far," she whispered, organizing her thoughts.

Mugen smiled at the blissful expression on her face. "There's a long way between here and sex," he said, letting her pull his face back to her. He reveled in the feel of her lips touching his again.

Fuu pulled away from him only briefly. "I know."

XXXXX

Oooo, steamy! I know its cruel, but there's still some tweaking to be done on the next chapter. I promise it won't take me two years to post it though. 


	7. Chapter 7

In response to all the emails and reviews I've continued to receive even after seemingly abandoning my story, here are the last two chapters that I've had sitting on my hard drive for who knows how long. I'd kept them, always thinking I'd start up again and want to change something in one of them but never did. 

So, feeling that they were a waste of effort if I didn't publish them, I've decided to post them even if they do leave my story pretty open ended. Since someone's probably started a fic with a similar plot by now, maybe another author would take an interest in writing a continuation of this one. 

Heck, maybe I could do it later on down the road. If all of your reviews have brought this fic back from the dead, maybe if they keep up, I might eventually get back to it. I do still read every one of them after all. ;)

IB

At last! The reviews about Fuu's age can stop, and I can stop looking like a complete bonehead to everyone that reads this. I'm making a stretch, I realize, but it's not totally unbelievable that she's been lying. Even though, I myself am married to a man that is 5 years older than me, I just felt dirty writing about someone who's almost 20 getting it on with a 15-year old.

Chapter 7 Release Rated M 

Mugen was in heaven, or at least as close as a man like him could get to it. Fuu was here, in his arms, and not going anywhere. His body was screaming at him to throw her on the futon and do it fast and do it rough, but he was fighting it. If he scared her off now, he'd never have the chance to do things the way he wanted. For now, Fuu would get to be one of the only women that he would ever make the extra effort for. Feeling the uncomfortable bind in his pants, he hoped she was happy.

She touched him cautiously at first, then with more bold curiosity. Mugen smiled into her kiss. She was far beyond any point she'd ever crossed before, and he could tell, but he was far from minding. After a few moments of feeling her soft, warm hands exploring his rough cheeks and hard chest, he decided to push his luck a little. Her sleeping kimono was already untied, thanks to their earlier scuffle, and it hung loosely on her shoulders and around her pale colored chest. Slowly and gently, he moved his good hand down from her hair to the opening in the front. He felt her stiffen, but she didn't object. 

Fuu felt his hand tentatively explore the exposed tops of her breasts. Then, it moved slowly under the soft fabric to her left side. She fought the urge to squirm under his tickling touch, but she couldn't resist a shudder. Suddenly, she was very aware of the texture of the fabric over her nipples. Mugen was happy to oblige their demand for attention. Fuu gasped a little feeling his rough thumb brush over the sensitive bud.

"Just relax," he whispered in her ear, and felt her tension melt.

Fuu complied, letting him push the robe off of her shoulders. Mugen pulled away from her soft kisses long enough to take in the new view. Fuu looked up at him questioningly, which only amplified how stunning she looked to him. Her skin wasn't the pale color of the some of the more 'cultured' women he'd been with, but it still stood out in stark contrast to his own weathered bronze hands. He noticed how her normally small breasts were a little heftier than he'd predicted. If she'd wanted his and Jin's (well, maybe just his) attention, why did she bind and hide them?

"How old are you, again?" he asked, not quite believing the last number he'd heard after seeing her in this new setting.

Fuu laughed out loud at the question. "Why? Are you starting to feel like a pervert?" she smiled.

"Well . . ." He hadn't really thought about that tonight. "I just can't believe you're fifteen," he said, scratching his head.

Fuu's smile softened. He was right about her looking a little older under her clothes. Binding her breasts and wearing her hair in the youthful style had sort of been part of her act. She'd always done it at the restaurant because of some of the rowdy and 'grabby' locals they'd get sometimes. The other men that came in who liked her were a little harder about beating the shit out of someone who harassed such a 'young' and sweet girl.

When Mugen and Jin had come in on the scene, she'd just kept it up, so they'd be less likely to start thinking about her . . . that way. Now here she was with Mugen in a very adult situation, and he was on to her. She doubted that a little thing like age had stopped him before with other girls, but maybe he deserved to know the truth about this. Besides, he'd kept her secret this well this long. Surely he wouldn't let Jin know about it now. Even if he did think about telling her other companion, it would put him in the awkward position to explain HOW he'd found out.

"It's because I'm not," she said at last, touching his chest again. He gently grabbed her hand and waited for further explanation. "I'm really seventeen," she explained, getting a raised eyebrow as a response from him.

"Why didn't you tell us?" he asked, releasing her hand and returning his to her side so he could pull her close to him again.

"Because, it's easier to protect a fifteen year old girl than a seventeen year old woman," Fuu stated, kissing him lightly on the lips. Mugen was starting to melt back into his former state of mind, and this was meaning less and less to him. "And, it was easier to keep the secret as long as I was the only one who knew."

'A very logical reason,' his mind hurriedly thought before he returned his attention to her soft breasts. Her nipples' color didn't stand out in the dark, meaning they were probably that adorable pink that he enjoyed. Maybe the next time he'd be able to do this with some light, so he could see her in all of her glory.

Feeling her having to readjust to keep her legs from falling asleep, Mugen opted for another position change. Fuu was lifted off of his lap and he pulled her down onto the futon with him. To his relief, she didn't assume the worst was going to happen and let him continue. Also, to his pleasant surprise, she finished taking off her sleeping kimono, slipping her arms out of it and wrapping them around his chest as she lay up against his lean body.

Mugen exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. This was where he wanted to be. It wouldn't have mattered if they'd been in this situation in the finest bath house in Edo or at a cold wet campsite. He felt her small hand brush over a rigid wide scar in their innocent exploration and stop. As deep and painful as he remembered it being, he couldn't recall, just now, where that particular one had come from. But, the thought did reemphasize in his mind that he was a criminal and a murderer. Maybe Fuu did deserve someone better than him.

But, he needed her.

The lean samurai rolled over onto his side and clasped the hand that had stopped. He pulled it to his lips and kissed the warm soft palm. Fuu smiled at him in the dark and brushed it against his cheek again before pulling his face to hers for another sensuous kiss. He let his calloused hand trace its way down the contour of her body, making her shudder again at his surprisingly feather-like touch. It came to rest atop her supple thigh where he paused to push the kimono the rest of the way off of her.

Fuu didn't know whether this was a good time to start protesting or to trust him. Every nerve ending that he touched felt like it caught fire, and the heat at her core was building. She knew she couldn't stop him now even if her conscience had wanted to. She just hoped that Mugen's body's will power was a whole lot stronger than hers.

Mugen gently pressed her hip back so that she was lying on her back, and he slipped his hand back from her firm hip to her inviting naval. He circled it with his thumb once, twice, then paused before sliding further down the soft flesh. He hadn't broken away to look, but he was fairly certain that the rough hair that he encountered was the same appealing chestnut brown as the tresses that were spilled out on the mattress behind her head.

Fuu's breath caught in her throat feeling him so close to the center of her body's burning heat, and her legs clenched tightly out of instinct. For a moment he didn't move from that spot, then she felt his fingers follow the line that was formed by her inner thigh and prod curiously. Feeling her holding her breath and not relaxing her thighs anytime soon, Mugen smiled retreating and brushed up her side again.

"Do I have to knock?" he teased. Fuu smiled a little, releasing her held breath. Even at such a sensual time, Mugen couldn't resist a snide remark. Her legs relaxed and Mugen returned to his exploring.

He slipped a finger into her forbidden place, surprised when she didn't scramble away from his touch. Her heart was thundering in her chest; he could feel its steady beat against his own chest. He smiled, satisfied at what he found there.

"You're so wet," he whispered to her, as if announcing a discovery that was unknown to her.

"Does that really surprise you?" she asked, smiling shyly. "I thought I already admitted that I wanted you." Her back arched suddenly at the sensation he was creating just then.

"I remember it being mentioned," he smiled, rubbing over the place again and getting a similar reaction. Increasing his speed and pressure, her body arched up to meet his touch again. Fuu's breath came more rapid, and she whimpered in the back of her throat.

"Mugen . . ." she stuttered, trying to catch her breath. "Oh . . ."

"It's okay to make some noise," he grinned, whispering heatedly into her ear. He didn't understand why first-timers wanted to be quiet about it. Was there some sort of feminine dignity he didn't know about? It didn't really matter, he reasoned, slipping his fingers down a little further so his thumb could take its place. They always made some noise in the end.

Fuu gasped, feeling him create a very different sensation. Her body bucked a little under his teasing hand, trying to get him to give what it wanted. After what felt like ceaseless torment, Mugen complied, and Fuu couldn't hold back a soft moan of ecstasy. He was glad she was having such a good time. She didn't realize it, but Fuu was killing him. He paused to readjust his position, but by this point, it was very much in vain.

During the pause, a flushed Fuu looked up at him questioningly. His eyes were closed and his skin clammy with sweat. It hadn't dawned on her until just now how selfish and unfair she was being to him. For her sake, he was sacrificing his own needs for once. She smiled again, gently pushing his hand away from her and sitting up beside him.

Mugen opened his eyes and watched her as she touched the waist of his pants. It probably would've been more right of him if he'd stopped her, his mind was telling him through foggy thoughts, but he just couldn't. Fuu delicately loosened them and went to pull at the hem resting on his pelvis. Feeling like absolute shit, he forced himself to grab her hand and stop her.

"Fuu, don't . . ." he mumbled, but she pressed her finger to his lips, followed by a tender kiss.

"Shhh," she smiled, "It's okay. It won't hurt anything."

As pleasant as the relief was when she slipped his pants off of his lean hips, she had no way of knowing how much more of a challenge the turn of events would present him with. He looked at her to find her staring at her new discovery, and when she looked back at him with a playful grin, it made it even worse.

A penis was nothing new to Fuu. After the many times that Mugen and Jin had gotten the shit beaten out of them, Fuu was usually the lucky person who got to stitch them up. Fuu had seen both men naked, and hadn't thought twice about it under the circumstances. Plus, she'd been in a brothel, and had been unfortunate enough to have gotten up close and uncomfortably personal with them on a couple occasions before Mugen and Jin had come to her rescue.

Mentally exhausted, Mugen tried to relax a moment, but he quickly choked back a startled gasp at the feeling of her warm soft hand on him. "Oh, Fuu," he groaned, sitting up and taking hold of her shoulders. She was testing every boundary of his will power.

Fuu pressed her lips to his half-open mouth and sucked at his bottom lip as she traced a tickling line down his length, making him quiver and his stone-colored eyes roll back a little. Damn, maybe she wasn't as inexperienced as he'd first thought.

"I thought you said you didn't know what you were doing," he managed to whisper, weakly smiling. He felt her smile as she kissed him again.

"Maybe it's just coming naturally," she quoted him. "Or maybe you and Jin should've gotten to that brothel a little sooner, before I had a chance to pick up on a few things."

Mugen would've paid a kings ransom for this kind of treatment if he'd been aware of her 'education' before he'd rescued her. He wondered what else she'd learned during her time there. Or if . . . a thought occurred to him and his mind revisited the idea that he might have gotten back to her too late.

"Fuu," he breathed, "They didn't . . ."

In the dark he saw her shake her head. "No," she said running her free hand's fingers through his drying hair. "You saved me from losing that," she assured him, and he breathed easier. He didn't know if he felt better because the option was still available to him or because he'd genuinely saved her innocence for her sake.

He moved to lay back down, a little more relaxed, but she stopped him. "Don't lay down yet," she said, running her palm down his inner thigh from its naughty point of origin. Mugen was helpless to argue. "You might want to watch," she smiled, backing away from him and moving to face his nether regions as she clasped him again in her dainty hands.

She wouldn't, he groaned inwardly with excitement. To his extreme pleasure, she dipped down to him preparing to do what he hadn't imagined her even thinking about doing at this point in her exploration. Just before her swollen lips touched him, however, there was a knock at the door.

"FuuuuuUCK," he drawled, anger boiling over at whoever was stupid enough to bother them at the absolute worst time EVER.

"Mugen," a familiar voice called from the other side of the door. "Are you in there?" Jin asked. Mugen's eye spasmed with a flutter of twitches at the sound of the dark-haired samurai's calm and quiet voice.

Fuu was blushing wildly as she wrapped her sleeping kimono and blanket around her. Mugen watched her for a second, sighing in defeat, then growling with a new kindled rage.

'Alright, get a hold of yourself,' Mugen thought to himself as he hastily put on his pants and grabbed his sword. Taking a deep breath, he collected himself before opening the door. 'Don't kill him. Don't kill him.'

Seeing a scowl twitching at the corners of his traveling companion's mouth, Jin arched an eyebrow. Mugen saw him scan him from head to toe and felt exposed. "Everything okay?" Jin asked peering around him to check on Fuu, who was just beginning to lay back down with her back facing the door.

"Fine. Everything's fine," Mugen assured him, sliding the door closed behind him.

Mugen quickly ditched Jin back at the room and made his way to the restaurant. When Jin had asked him about the man they had seen earlier, Mugen mentioned that Fuu had seen him too and had screamed when they'd opened the door. The quiet samurai seemed to buy his story about how he'd wound up in her room.

Jin told him that he'd gone down to the restaurant, deciding that he'd needed a nightcap too, and not finding him there, he'd worried that maybe something had happened.

"Damn it!" he muttered, taking a seat at the bar. He needed a drink now more than ever. While waiting for the old man to get to him, he scanned the familiar looking jars, pots, and wooden vessels for something to satisfy him. Sake wouldn't get him drunk fast enough tonight. The occasion called for something stronger.

He buried his face in his hands and felt like screaming all over again. He would've went back to Fuu, but Jin had decided to watch him walk to the restaurant. Besides, she probably would've gone to sleep by now. And, even if she hadn't, there was practically no chance at all that she would want to risk Jin walking in on them again.

"You look like you could use a drink," a cracked voice said, making Mugen look up. Up close, the waiter looked a bit more haggard. His white hair was missing a sizable patch of scalp that Mugen doubted had come from natural balding. One milky eye wouldn't open all the way, probably due to the scar that made a path across his wrinkled brow. And, he didn't notice until the man moved to pick up an empty sake pot that someone had left that he was missing his thumb and ring finger on his right hand. It sort of scared him a little to think it, but Mugen felt like he was looking at himself 50 years from now.

"What'll ya have?" came his broken voice again.

"Whatcha got?" Mugen asked, returning his gaze back to the restaurant's collection.

"Sake's good," the man said half interested. "It'll help you sleep."

"Nah, I'm done with sake for tonight," Mugen said. "What do you have that's good and strong? I wanna feel some pain," he smiled.

The old waiter's face split into a smile that was missing several teeth. Who in the hell would hire a guy that looked like this to work in a place where people ate, Mugen wondered absently as the old man reached beneath top of the counter and retrieved an unglazed earthen pot.

"My own personal recipe from home," he casually informed the samurai, setting a china cup before him and pouring out the clear liquid. "See if that suits you."

Mugen raised the cup to his nose and smelled the mystery liquor. He grinned slightly. "You from Ryukyu?" he asked, making his host raise his split eyebrow then return his smile.

"I take it you've had awamori before?" he said watching as the lean man downed the drink in one dose. Mugens eyes watered at the burning in his gut. "It's a pretty fresh batch; hasn't had much time to mellow," he explained a little too late. "Would you like some water to sweeten it?"

Mugen shook his head, pouring himself another. "This is fine," he said. "I haven't had it fresh for a long time," he said softly.

The bartender nodded. "Kinda makes you homesick, don't it?" he said knowingly. His usual customers would have erupted in a show of coughing and sputtering. But, every now and then, he'd get someone who knew how to handle it, and they all came from the same place.

Mugen snorted. "Only for this," he said after drinking his second, savoring the familiar taste.

The old man nodded. He understood where Mugen was coming from. "So, why would a tough looking shit like you want to 'feel some pain' at an hour like this?"

"Pain is the only thing that helps me think," Mugen said truthfully, setting down the cup and digging out a few coins which he sat on the counter. The old man took them and pushed the pot over the rest of the way to Mugen. Apparently, this guy had a lot to think about.

Fuu slept soundly after Mugen left and to her surprise was awake before the sun came up all the way. The young woman sat up and looked around her, the scattered memories of the previous night collecting themselves at the sight of her tanto laying beside her bed where she'd left it when Mugen had made the move on her. Her light sleeping kimono still hung loosely around her body, just as she had left it when Jin had come in. Had she really almost done what she thought she did?

Fuu couldn't believe that she'd actually been willing to go that far with the Ryukian before Jin had unknowingly interrupted. Fuu smiled at the thought of how Mugen had been so close to being putty in her hands, or had it been the other way around. She probably would've done anything he'd told her to last night just as long as he'd kept making her feel the way she had.

No doubt he'd gone and drunk all comprehensive thought out of his mind as soon as he'd left. But, she knew he wouldn't forget too soon about what had almost happened. There would probably be an attempt to pick up where he'd left off if the opportunity made itself available. Fuu didn't know how she was going to deal with it just yet, but she'd worry about it if the time came.

Getting up and stretching magnificently, Fuu put on her traveling kimono and went outside into the new day for a moment. The air was fresh smelling, cool and moist thanks to the previous night's thunderstorm, and Fuu loved it. Down the deck and around the corner she heard a door open. A moment later, Jin walked down off of the deck and toward the stream that separated the inn from the main road. Fuu watched in silence as he began his morning exercises.

She remembered thinking, before things had gotten interesting, about how she could've put up more of a fight for Mugen if she'd only stuck with her morning routine. It dawned on her again that Mugen and Jin wouldn't be with her for much longer, and she might need to start freshening up on her skills again. After her mother had died, Fuu had just stopped training. And, during the past few months with her bodyguards, she hadn't had the opportunity to practice without them seeing her.

Fuu went back inside and picked up her tanto. A few hours of practice this morning, while she had the chance, might do her a world of good, she reasoned and took off her pink kimono again. She'd be able to hear either of the two men approaching her room in time to hide it away and look like she'd just woken up.

After the trio had long since packed up their belongings and continued on their way, a crazed man named Denkibou, accompanied by his brother, Umanosuke, slid open the door that lead into Fuu's room. Much to their advantage, housekeeping hadn't made it that far yet and the room is still in disarray.

Denkibou crept up to the bed and clutched the thin blanket that Fuu had slept under. After holding it to his face and inhaling deeply, the stooped blond man rocked on his feet, contemplating. He laughed venomously, turning to his brother with an insane smile of satisfaction.

"Mugen . . ." he growled. "Mugen was here with her. It's so perfect," he said, his smile disappearing and almost giving way to tears. "They came close, but he didn't fuck her. He didn't get to, but Mugen wants to. He wants the girl."

"How perfect, indeed," Umanosuke said with a smile. "Revenge will be easier than I'd planned." He let his brother out and slid the door closed behind him. "We'll just have to take her from him, since she seems to mean so much."


	8. Chapter 8

XXXXX Chapter 8 The Unsung Battle XXXXX

Fuu settled into a comfortable position at the low table. A waitress came up to her and took her order. She ordered several dumplings for Mugen, Jin's recent favorite - miso soup with kabocha, and a fragrant but affordable white fish that she'd smelled coming in for herself. They were running low on money, but they could still afford to eat a few good meals.

Jin and Mugen entered the small restaurant not too long after the waitress had walked off to place the order. Fuu had sent them off to find work while she looked for a place to eat. Apparently, this was the only place to eat, and work was scarce around here. They hadn't taken long.

That morning the three travelers had set off from the resort inn where they had waited out the thunderstorm. And, as evening had drawn nearer, Fuu had insisted that they take a detour to a nearby town to get some food and cheap lodging. She'd reasoned that since they were so close to the island, they really didn't have to scrimp anymore.

"How much farther do you think we have now, Jin?" Fuu asked, watching the two men sit across from her. Jin produced the map and traced the familiar course with his finger tips.

"If we leave early tomorrow," he said, pushing his spectacles back up his nose, "We should probably only have one more night on the road before we get to the island.

Fuu nodded, moving her hands out of the way so the approaching waitress could place her meal before her. She hadn't looked to confirm it yet, but judging by the uneasy feeling she was getting, Mugen was watching her. She chose not to make eye contact and concentrated on her food.

The fish was as delicious as she had hoped, but she couldn't enjoy it fully because of the feeling she was getting. Finally giving in, she looked up at the gaunt samurai, expecting to meet those dark gray eyes, but she didn't. Mugen, as usual, was busy shoveling food down his throat like someone was going to steal it out of his mouth if he didn't eat fast enough.

That was strange, Fuu thought, returning to her food. She could've swore he'd been watching her. Having confirmed that he wasn't, Fuu continued as usual, but the feeling didn't go away.

As the three of them sat, waiting for the bill, Fuu casually glanced around her so as not to draw her companions' attention to her. Nothing looked out of place in the small but cozy restaurant. The waitress was bustling to and from the welcoming looking kitchen with food orders. A few local farmers sat in one corner, enjoying a little sake before going home for the evening. Fuu's gaze continued around the room and fell on a woman sitting alone near the wall opposite of them. As Fuu's eyes fell on her, the woman quickly looked away. So, she'd been the one watching her. Fuu wondered if Jin and Mugen had known. If they had, neither acted bothered.

The woman looked stunningly beautiful, even to Fuu. This was the kind of woman that every little girl wants to grow up to look like. Her skin was naturally pale and her almond-shaped eyes glittered with intelligence. The lady's jet black hair was held back neatly with several long pins. In the back of her mind Fuu remembered them being called kansashi. Her mother had had several of them as well. She'd told Fuu that her father had given them to her and that they were very special to wives and daughters of samurai. In fact, Fuu wore two such pins in her hair at the moment, with their sharp ends being concealed in her hair. Her mother had never used them as weapons but that was what they were intended for.

At the woman's side lay a daisho. Unlike Jin's, these were custom made for a woman's smaller hands and were probably much lighter, Fuu suspected. As familiar as the blades were to Fuu, she'd never seen a woman carry them. This woman looked more like a geisha than a fighter anyways.

Mugen, finished with his dumplings looked up briefly at Fuu while Jin was supposedly not looking. She was staring at something as she sipped her tea. He followed her gaze to the figure on the other side of the room. With a glance, Mugen sized the lady up. Probably some rich fucker's daughter or wife carrying swords around to dare anyone to mess with her in her father's or husband's territory. If things hadn't been so tangled up with Fuu, he probably would've made the moves on her just to spite the old asshole.

The bill came, and Fuu paid for it out of the dwindling amount that he'd stolen a few days earlier. Surely there was still enough left for them to be able to stay in a decent place, Mugen figured. After the long day of walking, he was ready for a soft dry place to sleep.

Fuu stood, followed by Jin. Mugen rose after the dark-haired samurai, taking a second to glance back at the woman that Fuu seemed so interested in. The woman was watching Fuu over her tea cup, and she caught the pirate looking at her. She smiled politely and bowed her head slightly. Mugen shrugged it off for once and followed after his two companions.

Fuu rented one room for the three of them for the night at the local inn. Used to the looks she got by now, Fuu didn't even blush at the woman's stunned expression at Fuu choice of roommates.

The room was very small, but it was quiet and dark. And, that was all they needed. The uneasy feeling had followed her from the restaurant to the inn, so Fuu chose to sleep between her bodyguards for once with Jin on her right and Mugen on her left, between her and the door. At first she'd thought she wouldn't be able to sleep a wink, but after only a few moments of the comforting sounds of Jin's steady breathing and Mugen's buzzing snore, Fuu was out cold.

It couldn't have been long, maybe an hour at most, before Fuu woke with a start feeling a warm hand on hers. Opening her eyes and turning her head, she saw that Mugen's eyes were open a crack and he was looking at her sleepily. Fuu opened her mouth to question his boldness, but he shook his head, looking over her at Jin who's sleep was more like a deeper than normal daydream. The dark haired samurai made no move to indicate that he had woke at the sound of Fuu's gasp.

Tired beyond words, Fuu didn't have it in her to fight Mugen anyways. Instead, she rolled over to face him, giving them as much privacy as the situation allowed. 'What?' she mouthed. Even if he couldn't read lips, the tired frown on her face asked it for her.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a nearly inaudible whisper. Fuu's trained ears heard him well enough in the quiet room. "You're jumping in your sleep."

Fuu nodded her head and mouthed, 'I'm fine.'

Mugen let her hand go, reluctantly and let her roll onto her back again. In a few more moments, he was asleep again, but Fuu's mind was once again wide awake, and she couldn't sleep for now.

'I will never love a samurai,' she repeated over and over again in her head as she stared at the ceiling. She hadn't actually promised her mother that she wouldn't fall in love with a samurai with those exact words, she told herself, but Fuu didn't feel like it would make her mother very happy seeing her falling for the worst of the worst when it came to samurai. It might have been one thing if Jin had found out and fallen for her like Mugen had. He would've at least done the honorable thing and courted her properly. She didn't think her mother would've minded as much if the samurai was an upstanding citizen who would make a good husband and father. 

Mugen, she thought, couldn't do either of those for her. But, he had nearly died protecting her, Fuu argued to herself. Didn't that count for something? No. She'd saved his life a couple times too. Fuu owed Mugen nothing, she thought and was surprised to feel a twinge of remorse.

"This is going to make me crazy," she whimpered softly, feeling hot tears misting her eyes. She squeezed them shut to prevent them from oozing over the brim and sliding down her cheek, but it was in vain. Hastily, but noiselessly, she wiped it away with her left hand. Mugen's snoring never faltered.

Mugen cracked an eye open at the feeling of her intentionally slight movement and watched as she wiped away the wetness on her cheek. He wanted so badly to pull her into his arms, tuck her warm head under his chin, and hold her all night. What was wrong? If she'd just tell him, he could beat it. He could help her.

Fuu opened her eyes just before the night began to turn into a gray dawn. She was done sleeping and didn't feel like laying around waiting for the guys to 'wake her up.' Even after a year without morning routines and exercises, Fuu always woke up before morning. She didn't need Jin suspecting anything from her early start, so she'd always made sure that she was the last one out of bed every morning.

Jin wouldn't be awake for another hour, she figured as she silently rose and readjusted her kimono. Mugen wouldn't wake up until Jin came back from his practicing.

That's what Fuu needed right now. The drills and exercises her sensei had made her do had been difficult and painful at first, but now, after so long, Fuu found comfort in them. The previous morning at the spring, she had done them again for old time's sake and hadn't realized how much she missed it.

The screen door slid open quietly, and Fuu went outside into the chilly but moist morning. In the room, Mugen awoke, feeling Fuu's warmth leave. After he was sure that she was gone, he got up and followed after her.

There was a quiet and secluded place not too far from the inn, but not too close either. Just in case she had to curse at her clumsiness, Fuu smiled to herself.

Awareness, explosiveness, speed, strategy, and balance: all of these are qualities that are highly prized and honed in tantojutsu. Strength, Mugen had told her was important. Fuu had always grouped it into the explosiveness category along with stamina. At the time, these two were her weakest links, and she intended to fix it.

Fuu gracefully dipped down and assumed a well-balanced handstand. She'd seen Mugen do this familiar exercise and thought it would be a good way to get back some of her balance and strength. She swayed unsteadily at first and her head swam, but eventually Fuu found her nitch and settled back in. First with both arms then with one at a time, Fuu did sets of a sort of handstand push-up.

After some quick and showy balancing of her tanto, Fuu rested and meditated for twenty minutes, unknowing that she had an audience. Mugen was about to make his presence known when a familiar person appeared. It was the woman from the restaurant. Mugen stiffened, seeing the woman's daisho and her intent stare at the meditating Fuu. He was about to walk out to join Fuu, but Fuu was already standing and facing the woman.

"Kasumi Fuu," the woman said, approaching her. Fuu nodded, solemnly and met her gaze. "I am Keibou Kotomi, and it is my orders to take your life," she said without much regret in her voice. Fuu could hear the surfacing smile in her voice.

Fuu has suspected as much. As soon as she had heard that her father was part of the Hidden Christians, she realized that her own life might be in danger because she was his daughter.

Wide eyed, Mugen made to break into the clearing, but Fuu caught his gaze and shook her head 'no.' What the fuck was she trying to prove?! She was going to get herself killed. This was a damned Shogun assassin, not a fucking pickpocket.

"Stay out of this, Pirate," Kotomi said, looking to exactly where he was hidden with her cold stare. "Your time is coming. I'm pleased to tell you that you share a very similar sentence."

"You crazy bitch!" Mugen roared at the newcomer, but she only granted him a curt smile. He stepped out into the clearing and moved toward them.

"MUGEN!!" Fuu screeched, making him stop. "I said no," she told him, and his blood boiled at being commanded like a dog. "We're even," she said more calmly before he could reply. She met his confused stare. "You've kept your promise, and I release you from it," she said softly, but her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Fuu didn't want him risking his life again and making their situation anymore difficult for her to cope with. Besides, this was her fight.

"Fuu . . ." he said, wanting to reach out for her again. "I can't. I lo . . ."

"DON'T," she said firmly, squeezing her eyes shut. Fuu didn't know how much longer this Kotomi chick would wait for their tender moment, but she suspected she was sopping it all up like some evil sponge. "Go back and tell Jin I ran away and that you don't have to help me anymore! Now, leave!!"

Later, Mugen wouldn't be able to recall why he did as he was told for once, but it might have been the fact that she was in tears, practically begging him. Had he really almost said it? Was that why he left? Did he really love her?

Fuu watched as Mugen disappeared back into the woods and toward the inn. He wouldn't leave. She knew him too well. He'd come to his senses before he got back to the room, grab his sword and race back here ready to take on an army. That definitely put some limits on how long she had to kick this crazy woman's ass.

"How sweet," Kotomi chimed, "He thinks he actually loves you." She laughed, and the sound made Fuu's blood run icy. "A man like that doesn't 'love,' dear," she crooned. "He fucks, and he's a fantastic fucker too, I'm sure," she said approvingly. "But you don't even look like his type," Kotomi said, her smile fading dramatically.

Fuu fought the urge to run at her and tear her hair out by the roots and scratch her damned eyes out. But that's what she'd want. No doubt, this woman could do more than look pretty with those swords tucked in her perfectly tied obi. This was going to be a real fight. Kotomi wouldn't be holding back like Mugen did, but Fuu wouldn't be either. It would be her first real test on how much she'd learned.

"Now, be a good little girl, and die like a samurai's daughter," she said, drawing her sword. "I was born for this duty, you see. I too am the daughter of a samurai, and in all properness and fairness only I should be the one to kill you."

"What the hell do you know about being proper and fair?" Fuu growled, making Kotomi arch and eyebrow. "You drew your sword at the wrong time, you stupid bitch," she spat. If only Mugen could see her now, she thought, smiling inwardly at the image of his reaction to her sounding just like him. "If your father was a real samurai, he would've taught you that."

"Eh?"

"You're supposed to wait for me to draw my weapon first," Fuu said drawing her tanto, to illustrate her point. Of course her own father hadn't told her that, but she'd learned it from watching Jin fight.

"A knife," Kotomi laughed. "Oh, please. Spare me the theatrics."

Fuu didn't reply, only took her stance. Kotomi blinked, but was only stunned for a second before lunging at her.

Fuu met her downward slash with her tanto, and the blades twanged loudly on impact. Kotomi was nearly Fuu's size, and their strengths were well matched. To Fuu's surprise but more to Kotomi's she was able to actually hold the striking blade for a second before whipping it to the side and counter striking with amazing speed.

Kotomi was caught off guard, but was not unprepared. She parried and twirled around in a cloud of silk before slicing upward. Fuu barely managed a backflip in an attempt to avoid the swipe. The tip of Kotomi's katana sliced deep across the left side of her clavicle, leaving a searing pain in its wake. Fuu yelped, but didn't have time to dwell on it. Just as she was regaining her balance, another attack was in progress. Kotomi thrust at her, and Fuu dodged to the right, grabbing her wrist and going through the motions similar to how she had dealt with Mugen's similar attack. Only, this time, Kotomi didn't allow herself to be pulled into the trap.

Somehow, she managed to stop her forward motion and pull Fuu back to her. She laughed, moving to cut her across the throat, but that was her fatal mistake. Fuu, in the beginning stages of panic, stabbed her tanto into Kotomi's thigh. She felt it strike bone with a sickening hollow feeling thud.

There was a scream, and the tight grip on Fuu loosened. Kotomi slumped back, putting her weight on her good leg. She hissed between her teeth in anger at Fuu's lucky strike. "You bitch!"

Fuu backed away from the maimed adversary. She wouldn't be doing anymore lunging, judging by the rapidly spreading red stain on her silk kimono. But, Fuu knew better than to step within sword length of her. She looked like a viper ready to strike.

"You'd better kill me if you can, Fuu," she said smiling wildly, probably delirious from the pain. "Because if I walk away from this, I won't fail next time. So go ahead," she insisted, mockingly, "kill me."

Fuu stepped forward, but suddenly an image of Tsuchi the farmer sprang to her mind. Could she really take another life? The thought of his screams and the blood on her hands was maddening, and she backed away, making Kotomi smile.

"I'll kill you, Fuu," she hissed, "And him too," she said looking beyond Fuu.

"NO!" Fuu cried, stepping forward again and holding her tanto up for the strike. But, a hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. She fought it but not much. She didn't want to kill this woman, no matter how dementedly hell-bent Kotomi was on killing her.

"Don't do it," a soft voice said in her ear. "Not for me." It was a familiar voice and a familiar scent, and her world began to come back into focus again.

"Mugen," she whimpered, drying the fresh tears on her face on his shirt sleeve. He gently pushed her to the side. Fuu turned away; she couldn't watch. There was the sound of a sword being drawn followed by a sound not unlike a ripe pumpkin being split by a cleaver. There was not a scream or gurgle of pain. Fuu didn't need to look to know how he'd finished what she'd started.

Then he was at her back again and leading her into the woods. When they were finally out of sight of the grizzly scene, Fuu's legs wobbled under her weight, and she let Mugen pick her up without so much as a frown.

"I'm sorry," she said, finally seeing his face. His expression was blank. "I just couldn't do it again."

"You fought your fight, and you won," he said.

Fuu leaned into his chest and relaxed.

Thanks again for reading and for all of your reviews!

Sincerely,  
Ivory Bangle 


End file.
